It’s difficult to figure out where general managers find their motivation sometimes. When it came to signing Mark Melancon though, the motivation for San Francisco Giants GM Bobby Evans may have come in the form of a young fan’s letter.

“Bobby, it would be so cool if the Giants got Mark Melancon. I really really really want you to go out and get him very very soon. Melancon really really needs to come to the Giants. Please offer him a big contract!!! Bobby, please go out and get him now! Melancon needs to come to the Giants this offseason.”

Truth be told, Melancon was on the Giants radar long before this letter was written. One of their biggest goals this offseason was to sign an impact reliever, which is exactly what Melancon has been in recent years. But who knows, maybe the letter gave them the extra emphasis needed to push their offer over the top. Or better yet, maybe they used the letter itself as a recruiting tool.

That would be pretty cool. But either way, the Giants got the man they wanted and at least one loyal fan wanted too.

Remember being a kid and saving up your weekly allowance to buy a pack of baseball cards? Well, now you can do that as an adult, only it might take a couple months worth of salary depending on how crazy you’re willing to get.

For the price of $22,000, you can own the most expensive box of baseball cards ever assembled. Topps released its 2016 Transcendent Collection on Friday, and even the most dedicated collectors might have a hard time justifying the purchase.

The 2016 Topps Transcendent Collection will set you back a pretty penny. (Topps.com)

“So,” you’re probably wondering, “what does $20,000 worth of cards get me.” Allow us to try and explain.

First off, the set of cards is delivered in a pretty awesome metal briefcase. That’s a nice start. The actual Collection contains the following:

50 framed autographs from 39 of the greatest living signers including big names like Barry Bonds, Bryce Harper and Nolan Ryan, among many other legends

Got all that? Basically, you get a ton of autographed cards, many of which feature baseball legends, a Kris Bryant autographed card that is unique to each pack, two complete card sets, and an invitation to a crazy party in Vegas.

Yeah, buying this set of cards means you get to hang out with Bryant in Vegas for a Topps event on Jan. 18. Topps will cover hotel accommodations, dinner, cocktails and will provide other giveaways during the party. Each box comes with one invite to that event.

Oh, and did you notice above that the cut signature box topper could include a historical figure? Yeah, you might get this George Washington card.

It may not be a baseball card, but George Washington is part of the Topps Transcendent Collection. (Topps.com)

Put that all together and … uh … you can understand why it costs $20,000 for the set.

For any of you out there who has an extra $20,000 laying around, or has recently come into a lot of money, here’s where we leave you disappointed. Only 65 sets were made by Topps, and they’ve already sold out on the company’s website. If you absolutely need to own the 2016 Topps Transcendent Collection, you’re going to have to turn to secondary markets, and we cringe just thinking about how much the price will be jacked up there.

Until then, you can enviously watch as others open some really excellent and ridiculously expensive baseball cards.

Hey, the good news is, there are plenty of baseball card sets out there that don’t cost $20,000. You can still go out and spend your weekly salary on a bunch of baseball cards if you want. And since you’re an adult now, you won’t have to choose between new cards or ice cream anymore. You can afford both now!

Before he became the first American to orbit the Earth, astronaut John Glenn shared the skies with a Boston Red Sox legend. Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams served as Glenn’s wingman while the two served during the Korean War.

It’s an unbelievable connection, especially considering what the two would go on to accomplish during their lives. Williams had already established himself as one of the best players in baseball, and would continue his Hall of Fame career after returning from military service. Glenn not only rose to prominence in the military, but became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Glenn, who died Thursday, spoke about his relationship with Williams following Williams’ death in 2002. He told MLB.com the two flew together a fair amount in Korea.

“By luck of the draw, we went to Korea at the same time,” Glenn said. “We were in the same squadron there. What they did at that time, they teamed up a reservist with a regular to fly together most of the time just because the regular Marine pilots normally had more instrument flying experience and things like that. So Ted and I were scheduled together. Ted flew as my wingman on about half the missions he flew in Korea.”

“Once, he was on fire and had to belly land the plane back in,” Glenn said. “He slid it in on the belly. It came up the runway about 1,500 feet before he was able to jump out and run off the wingtip.

“Another time he was hit in the wingtip tank when I was flying with him. So he was a very active combat pilot, and he was an excellent pilot and I give him a lot of credit.”

Williams spoke highly of Glenn as well. In a column for the Boston Globe, Williams said he knew Glenn would go on to do great things, according to Boston.com.

“This was a man destined for something great; it was an intuitive feeling I had” wrote Williams. “John always had exceptional self-control and was one of the calmest men I have ever met, no matter how perilous the situation.”

Due to that connection, the two obviously maintained a relationship later in life.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for season one, episode 10 of “Pitch,” and every episode prior.

We’re nearing the end of the baseball season in “Pitch” land. Ginny’s year might be over, Mike might have lost the clubhouse with his aborted trade to the Cubs, Amelia may have lost a client, and Ginny’s brother Will might steal everyone’s money. Just like the end of the real baseball season, there’s no shortage of storylines. So let’s dive into the season finale of “Pitch.”

OFF THE FIELD

Hoo boy, buckle in because there’s a lot to cover. This week, after opening on the field (more on that below) and flashing back 36 hours, we find Ginny freaking out because she texted Noah, the cute billionaire she went on a date with last week, and after 20 minutes he hadn’t responded. (Calm down, girl. Give him a chance!) So she tracks him down at a coffeeshop where he’s playing guitar and singing. And not badly, either. That turns into a date, which turns into a night together. The next morning, he’s obviously incredibly into her. He does adorable stuff with the crappy coffee maker in Ginny’s hotel room (I think it’s time that Ginny got an apartment, to be honest) before offering to take her on a secluded island vacation — or anywhere she wants, really — during the offseason. Ginny absolutely should take him up on this, but she declines to give him an answer for the time being.

Ginny is also trying to navigate life with Mike after their almost-kiss from last week. Mike wants to brush past it, but it’s clear that Ginny wants to talk about it. It’s not clear if either of them regret it or are more embarrassed by it, because they’re both distracted by other partners. Ginny’s got Noah, and Mike is trying to get back together with his ex-wife. She’s apparently dumped her fiancé (just like in “Major League!”), and he’s not sure if he wants to get back with her. Al, the Padres’ manager, calls Mike into his office to talk about the trade that didn’t happen with the Cubs. He says that the Cubs were the new girl, fun and exciting for awhile, but that he’d never leave the Padres because he’s meant to be with them. Mike realizes that Al is inadvertently describing what happened with Ginny, and he makes a beeline for his ex-wife’s hotel room. The next morning, she breaks his heart a little bit when she indicates that she doesn’t really want to start things up again, but she appears in the stands of the game anyway, so it’s apparently back on with the two of them.

Things are a little awkward between Ginny and Mike now. (FOX)

Beyond romance, Mike is dealing with the fallout of his non-trade to the Cubs. He reveals to Blip that he’s not the one who called it off, that the deal fell through at the last minute and he was ready to go if it hadn’t. Blip takes this personally and gives Mike crap for it for the rest of the episode. It culminates in an altercation in the dugout during Ginny’s final start — Blip was trying to calm down a frustrated teammate, and Mike steps in because he’s the captain of the team. Blip, of course, mentions that Mike was pretty ready to leave this team, and Blip is just as capable of handling things. Mike takes offense, and it nearly comes to blows. Things aren’t going to be fine with them for awhile, it seems.

But Blip and his wife Evelyn are dealing with their own problems. Evelyn discovered some discrepancies in the finances of Screwgies, the restaurant she was opening with Ginny’s brother Will. She gets all of her invested money out of there before Will can use it (Will had only been using the money Ginny had given to him) and talked to Ginny’s agent Amelia, who said that she’d take care of it. After Amelia threatens to tell Ginny, Will comes clean with her himself: he had gotten in debt after trying and failing to open a coffeeshop, and used Ginny’s money to pay off that debt. With that, Ginny says she’s done. She doesn’t like the con man her brother has become, and tells him to leave so he can find his own path.

But Amelia’s involvement has consequences. Ginny didn’t want her to interfere, but she did anyway, because it’s her job. Ginny blows up at Amelia, who points out that she’s been taking a lot of crap from Ginny because Ginny doesn’t quite understand how things work and what her responsibilities are. Ginny essentially fires Amelia, who leaves for a tropical vacation (she deserves it). Amelia is a main character (i.e. the actress that plays her, Ali Larter, is in the main credits), so she’s not going anywhere, but this is absolutely something Ginny will regret.

Evelyn and Blip have a difficult conversation. (FOX)

But back to Blip and Evelyn. She’s disappointed that she won’t get to open the restaurant, because she’s ready to do something that’s just for her. She left business school in her sophomore year to be with Blip, and then she had twin boys, so she feels like the time is right for her to open a restaurant herself. Blip is less than supportive, because he wants them to have another kid. Evelyn doesn’t feel that way. She says she’s done having kids, and demands that Blip be as supportive of her as she’s been of him for the last nine years. All things considered, it’s not an unreasonable request.

ON THE FIELDAs you can see, Ginny has a lot to deal with going into what will be her final start of the season, even though it’s only early September. A guy from the analytics department informed Oscar the GM that Ginny needs to be shut down immediately, since her reliance on the screwball is increasing the wear and tear on her arm. Ginny ends up negotiating one more start, and then she’ll be done for the season.

Ginny has a lot swirling in her head as she makes her final start, but it all quiets down to just one song playing in her mind as she pitches. What song is that? “Uptown Funk,” of course. And it helps: Ginny is straight up dealing through seven innings, getting closer and closer to becoming the first San Diego Padres player to ever throw a no-hitter. That’s right: it’s her final start, and she’s on an innings limit, but she’s got a no-hitter going. Oscar wanted Ginny out after the seventh inning, so when she goes back out for the eighth, he calls Al down in the dugout, leading to the single best scene that this show has ever done.

You tell him, Al. Or don’t tell him.

As the eighth inning starts, she loses it a little. She sees the scoreboard and gets rattled. Mike comes out to talk to her but she cuts him off immediately, because Ginny the Powerful has emerged from the shadows. She tells Mike she doesn’t want to hear one of his speeches, because she doesn’t need it. She doesn’t need him trying to kiss her either, because as long as they’re teammates, that’s how they’re going to stay. (Oh please oh please oh please.) What else? She doesn’t need Noah trying to take her around the world, she doesn’t need her con man brother, and she doesn’t need Amelia trying to save her. She doesn’t need a man to help her, because right now she’s pitching a no-hitter and she’d like to finish. It’s a truly impressive speech, and Kylie Bunbury, the actress who plays Ginny, delivers it as well as she’s delivered any single line on the show.

So of course, with one out in the eighth inning of a no-hitter, a guy on the opposing team bunts up the third base line. Ginny runs for it, gets the ball, throws it for the out, and ends up writhing on the ground in pain. She’s hurt her arm, and she has to leave the game. It ended badly, but this is the Ginny I’ve been longing to see. She’s let herself get tossed and turned by the winds of circumstance, and she’s been a willing participant in that. She usually seems so overwhelmed or tired or eager to please that she just lets things happen to her. The Ginny we saw at the end of the episode is the Ginny that should always be there: strong, self-assured, ascendent in her position and her power.

BEHIND THE SCENES Kylie Bunbury is having the time of her life playing Ginny Baker, and it shows when she talks about it. She’s living her dream as an actress, but as an added bonus she feels like she’s really touching people by playing such an interesting and unique role on television. It’s hard not to be at least a little inspirational while playing the first female MLB player, right?

MIKE LAWSON VS. JAKE TAYLOR With yet another similarity to “Major League” this week, I felt like it was only fair to compare the two once more. Near the end of the Padres game in “Pitch,” Mike sees his ex-wife sitting in the stands, using the ticket he left for her even though she said she wouldn’t be there. He gives his beard a tug, which seems like it’s something he used to do to tell her he loved her. In “Major League,” well, things are a little more significant.

So let’s compare. In “Major League,” Jake Taylor sees his true love in the stands after the team has won the World Series on a walk-off, and she holds up her hand to indicate that she’s no longer engaged. Now they can be together! Yeah, “Major League” wins this one in a landslide, though Mike Lawson is a lot cuter than Jake Taylor. If anyone ever wants to remake “Major League,” give Mark-Paul Gosselaar a call. (But seriously, don’t remake “Major League.”)

]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:28:23 PSTLiz RoschermlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,0ab5bb58-0eba-367a-8b0e-07db9fd25af6-l:1Dexter Fowler bet on himself and won big with $82.5M Cardinals dealhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/dexter-fowler-bet-on-himself-and-won-big-with-82-5m-cardinals-deal-174135931.html

The numbers are in for Dexter Fowler’s new contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, and they’re big. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, it’s a five-year, $82.5 million contract, with a full no-trade clause.

Fowler’s former team, the Chicago Cubs, extended him a qualifying offer that was worth $17.2 million, but he turned it down, taking his chances on the open market. And that gamble absolutely paid off. Instead of taking the qualifying offer, which would have netted him $17.2 million for one year, now he’s got $16.5 million for five years, and a no-trade clause to boot.

In Fowler, the Cardinals are getting a great center fielder with solid skills and dependable numbers. Discounting his 13-game debut in 2008, Fowler’s never had a final season average below .250. Lifetime, he’s hit .268/.366/.422, and last season with the Cubs he hit .276/.393/.447, with that .393 on-base percentage a career high. He’s hit at least 12 homers in four of his last five seasons, and with his postseason experience can only help the Cardinals, who are (usually) perennial playoff contenders.

Dexter Fowler is a Cub no more. (Getty Images)

It’s not like Fowler, who has spent the last two seasons with the Cubs, won’t see his former teammates again. He’ll be seeing them a lot since the Cubs and Cardinals are NL Central rivals. In fact, this feels like a “turnabout is fair play” situation, since the Cubs have been snapping up former Cardinals for the past few years. The Cubs signed center fielder Jon Jay recently (which was a pretty solid sign that Fowler’s time with the Cubs had come to an end), and they picked up Jason Heyward and John Lackey last year. All three had been Cardinals in the past.

Fowler will wear No. 25 with the Cardinals, which has a very special meaning.

Pretty cool that Dexter Fowler now wearing No 25, in honor of his mentor and close friend, home run king Barry Bonds

]]>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 09:41:35 PSTLiz RoschermlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,4d980dce-7386-3a64-9b94-c42328e2827a-l:1Bobby Valentine reportedly being considered for U.S. Ambassador to Japanhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/bobby-valentine-reportedly-being-considered-for-u-s-ambassador-to-japan-153646249.html
Bobby Valentine in 2012, the last time he managed a professional baseball team. (Getty Images)

Ex-baseball players go on to all sorts of careers. Some go into coaching or managing, some go into the business world, and others take up a career in broadcasting. And yet a few others do something different, like go into politics.

Bobby Valentine might be entering into that last category. The 66-year-old former player and manager of the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox is reportedly on the short list to be the Ambassador to Japan, according to WEEI.com. Valentine is currently serving as Sacred Heart University’s athletic director.

This isn’t completely out of the blue. Valentine managed the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japan Pacific League in 1995 (after which he was fired), and then returned to manage them in 2004 for five years after he was fired as the Mets manager in 2002. Valentine led the Marines to their first championship in 31 years in 2005, sweeping the Hanshin Tigers in the Japan Series. He was the first American born manager to win the Japan Series. Valentine’s time with the Tigers ended after the 2009 season due to a contract standoff, and two years later he would return stateside to manage the Boston Red Sox for one season (during which he was unceremoniously fired). Valentine is still beloved in Japan.

Valentine definitely has ties to Japan, but then again, so does Charlie Manuel, who played in Japan for five years and hit 189 homers for three different Japanese teams, earning the nickname “Aka-Oni” (Red Devil). So why is Valentine being considered for this position? WEEI had a little insight.

The former Red Sox manager has known both Trump and his brother, Bob, since the early 1980’s. He is also very close to Anthony Scaramucci, who is part of the Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee. And it was New Jersey governor Chris Christie who, according to a source, first surfaced Valentine’s name for the position.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings are a surreal place. Practically everyone in the baseball industry converges into a mega hotel for an event that’s a combination of general managers and agents trying to woo each other, reporters looking for scoops, front-office job seekers looking for a gig and trade-show people trying to sell their latest products.

That absurdity isn’t helped by the fact that the days run upward of 16 hours sometimes and it’s not hard to spend three days at the Winter Meetings without even going outside.

Here’s what really goes on at the Winter Meetings.

To the naked eye, it really just seems like a lot of people standing around. Sometimes they assemble in circles — like when an MLB manager has a scheduled media session or late at night when they’re discussing the day’s events in the bar or hotel lobby — but sometimes it’s more like thousands of people waiting for something to happen.

That leads to a pretty simple but fascinating question: What do people *actually* do at the Winter Meetings?

So we asked some people this week at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference near Washington D.C., where this year’s edition of the Winter Meetings wrap up Thursday. In the video above you’ll see four of the most interesting types of people at this event:

• The GM: Bobby Evans of the San Francisco Giants

• The Manager: Buck Showalter of the Baltimore Orioles

• The Player: Todd Coffey, a 36-year-old relief pitcher looking for another shot in the big leagues

• The Job Seeker: Jeremy Rochford, a young man looking for a scouting job in baseball who attended this year’s event with a “Please Interview Me” sign. (You can find him here, if you want to hire him)

Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.

WHAT A RELIEF: The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a deal with free-agent reliever Koji Uehara. The 41-year-old Uehara posted a 3.45 ERA over 47 innings with the Boston Red Sox last year. He’ll likely slot into a setup role behind the newly-acquired Wade Davis. Uehara is still an effective pitcher despite his age, but doesn’t often pitch on back-to-back days anymore. [@JonHeyman]

GETTING CLOSE: The St. Louis Cardinals are getting close to signing outfielder Dexter Fowler. St. Louis has been linked to Fowler all offseason, so it’s not surprising they would be interested in the 30-year-old. Fowler hit .276/.393/.447, with 13 home runs, over 551 plate appearances with the Chicago Cubs last year. [@BNightengale]

WHO’S NEXT: The Washington Nationals are looking at pretty much every reliever still on the market. The club has made a push for former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, though it’s said Jansen already has a significant offer from the Miami Marlins. If the team misses out on Jansen, they could pursue either Alex Colome or David Robertson in a deal. [@Ken_Rosenthal]

STAYING PUT: After shopping outfielder Andrew McCutchen early in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates are now going to keep him, according to general manager Neal Huntington. The Pirates were pretty open about the fact that McCutchen had been available for trade, but nothing materialized during the Winter Meetings. At this point, they might be better off holding onto the 30-year-old and hoping he rebuilds some of his value in the first half of 2017. [@Sawchik_Trib]

WE’RE LISTENING: The Detroit Tigers entertained offers at the Winter Meetings, but none of them involved All-Star first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Earlier in the offseason, rumors emerged suggesting the Tigers were willing to trade a number of their players, including Justin Verlander and Cabrera. It’s unclear whether they’ve changed their mind, or whether they haven’t received offers they are happy with at this time. [@BNightengale]

JUST TALKING: The Colorado Rockies continue to pursue Mark Trumbo. The 30-year-old outfielder is coming off a career-year in which he blasted 47 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles. If Trumbo joins the Rockies, the team would likely trade an outfielder to make room for him. That could happen anyway, as the team also inked Ian Desmond on Wednesday. [@BNightengale]

DONE DEAL: The Atlanta Braves have traded Tyrell Jenkins and Brady Feigl to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Luke Jackson. The 25-year-old Jackson posted a 3.69 ERA over two minor-league levels last year. He was bombed in a brief stint in the majors, posting a 10.80 ERA over 11 2/3 innings. Jenkins, 24, also reached the majors last season and had similar struggles, putting up a 5.88 ERA in 52 innings. Feigl was limited to just six innings last year as he attempted to come back from Tommy John surgery. [@ChrisCotillo]

The Chicago White Sox added a lot of explosive, young talent during the 2016 Winter Meetings. When those players eventually play together in the majors, the franchise will have to hope it goes better than the last time explosive materials were used on the field.

Yes, we’re talking about Disco Demolition Night. The now infamous promotion has gone down as one of the worst decisions ever by a team. The whole event was crazy, and a complete disaster, and that makes it the perfect story to retell on Comedy Central’s “Drunk History.”

Bob Odenkirk, better known as the actor who plays Saul on AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” retold the story on the program. As the title of the program suggests, Odenkirk imbibed a few adult beverages before launching into the tale, a fitting choice considering the state of many of the fans at the game.

Aside from being an excellent actor and entertainer, Odenkirk is a great choice to recount this story. He grew up in Naperville, a suburb roughly a half hour outside of Chicago. He lived near the city when Disco Demolition Night happened, and remembers it well. That also qualifies him to pull off a few variations of the Chicago accent in the video, which we found entertaining.

It’s also a fairly accurate description of what went down. Given that this is Comedy Central, “Drunk History’s” retelling focuses more on the comedic aspects of the event. It does touch on some of the more serious and terrifying things that took place, though, including the riot police being called in. The absurdity of the entire event makes you wonder how the heck someone allowed this to happen.

Given the results, it’s no surprise this was the last time baseball held this type of promotion. It’s never a good thing when you do something so inexplicable it gets featured on a show called “Drunk History.”

Baseball’s Winter Meetings are wrapping up today, and the affair proved to be an eventful three days. Chris Sale changed teams, Ian Desmond and Aroldis Chapman signed new contracts and that was just the tip of the iceberg. (For the rest of the iceberg, check out our done deals post, which contains info and analysis for every signing and trade that happened at the Winter Meetings.) But as executives and writers alike flee National Harbor, Maryland, there are still a few questions that haven’t been resolved.

What will the White Sox do next? Yahoo Sports’ own Jeff Passan says that the White Sox won the Winter Meetings, but there’s a lot more offseason left. Considering the big moves they’ve made so far — trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton for healthy returns — they’re far from being done with their first rebuilding offseason in years. They still have assets to trade, like closer David Robertson, third baseman Todd Frazier, or if they’re really looking to start over, they could deal the powerful Jose Abreu or pitcher Jose Quintana. They might deal one or two of those guys, or they could deal all of them. Now that they’ve decided to rebuild, they’re in a great position: they’ve got attractive players that teams want, and that could result in a big prospect payday for the White Sox. – Liz Roscher

Where will Edwin Encarnacion end up, and will he get the contract he craves? Teams started the Winter Meetings looking for alternatives to Encarnacion, who is the best free agent hitter left on the market and is looking for a contract in line with that. The Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Colorado Rockies all signed cheaper guys as first base/DH options, and so the market for Encarnacion’s talents has suddenly disappeared. Plus, Encarnacion isn’t the only guy like him available: Chris Carter, Mark Trumbo, and his former teammate Jose Bautista are all still out there, waiting to be signed. All is not lost, though: the Blue Jays apparently haven’t ruled Encarnacion out yet, and the Cleveland Indians are still in the conversation. Teams just have to decide if Encarnacion is worth the price of a hefty contract and the loss of a draft pick. – Liz Roscher

Will the Pirates still trade Andrew McCutchen? The Winter Meetings started with a lot of talk about where the Pittsburgh Pirates would trade center fielder Andrew McCutchen, but as the days wore on, the rumors stopped swirling. The Nationals expressed interest, but the Pirates’ asking price was reportedly too high. And then the Nats turned around and dealt prized prospect Lucas Giolito to the White Sox for Adam Eaton, so they’re presumably out of the running for McCutchen. That doesn’t leave a lot of landing spots for McCutchen. The Rangers, who have lost out on Ian Desmond, could be a good fit, and the Cardinals are in need outfield help, but if the Pirates are looking for a blockbuster return, they may not find any takers. – Liz Roscher

Which team will Kenley Jansen choose? Jansen, the closer who did so much for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 postseason, has a number of attractive offers out there. The Marlins have reportedly offered Jansen a five-year, $80 million contract, which is pretty close to Aroldis Chapman’s deal with the Yankees. The Nationals certainly want him, especially since they missed out on Mark Melancon, but it’s unclear if they’re willing to match the Marlins’ offer. And of course, the Dodgers want him back, but it’s not clear if they can afford him on their already hefty payroll. Jansen has his pick, but it’s anyone’s guess where he could land. – Liz Roscher

Will the Nationals continue to be aggressive? The Nationals made one blockbuster trade at the Winter Meetings, but were seemingly involved in talks for every single player. They were mentioned as the runner-up for Chris Sale and Melancon, and were engaged in talks for McCutchen at one point. By trading for Eaton, the team has signaled its willing to go all-in now at the expense of the future. The Nationals already boast a strong club, but there’s always room for improvement. General manager Mike Rizzo has never shied away from making blockbuster moves, and you wonder whether he can still pull off another significant trade that puts the Nationals over the top. Just because the Winter Meetings are over doesn’t mean his phone line has to go quiet. – Chris Cwik

Would the Royals actually trade key members of their core? (Getty Images/Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery)

Will the Royals trade anyone else? The Royals surprised many Wednesday by parting ways with closer Wade Davis in a trade with the Cubs for Jorge Soler. The move seemed to indicate that Kansas City was looking toward the future. Davis was only under contract for one more season, while Soler will be in Kansas City until 2020. If the Royals continue to take that approach, a number of significant players could be available. Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Danny Duffy are all entering contract years. The Royals haven’t been as active as some other clubs on the trade market, but they have some attractive pieces if they really decide to tear things up. – Chris Cwik

Are the Texas Rangers alive? The Rangers won an American League high 95 games last year, but were quickly sent home in the playoffs thanks to the Cleveland Indians. With the club so close to postseason glory, it was expected the Rangers would try and make some big additions to push their club over the edge. Instead, the re-signing Carlos Gomez. That’s not a bad move, it’s just underwhelming considering the Rangers’ willingness to go after big names in recent years. There’s some concern that the Rangers don’t have the money to make a significant add, but it’s also possible that’s just a negotiating tactic they are using to drive down the price of the remaining free agents. If that’s truly the case, the team still has time to go out and make a big-time trade. – Chris Cwik

Will the Rockies continue to make additions? The Rockies surprised everyone by signing Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70 million contract Wednesday. It’s the type of move typically made by a contender, not a club that won 75 games last year. Despite the team’s recent struggles, Colorado may be closer to the playoffs than you think. But in order to reach the promised land, they’ll need more than just Desmond. There have already been some rumblings that the club will deal an outfielder in order to grab more talent and move Desmond off first base. If they do that, it’s possible they could make a play for Encarnacion or Trumbo, or maybe trade for Abreu. If you’re going to go all-in, you might as well go crazy. – Chris Cwik

What happens with Dexter Fowler? Fowler and his agent must have been salivated after Desmond received $70 million from the Rockies. Despite that, the market on Fowler has been fairly quiet over the past few days. That’s somewhat confusing, as both the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays have been mentioned for the outfielder, and have a clear need for a player like Fowler. With Eaton now off the market and the Pirates unclear about what to do with McCutchen, Fowler suddenly looks like the best option for teams desperately in need of an outfielder. – Chris Cwik

What’s going on with the Dodgers and the Astros? Given the flurry of moves made by Houston already this offseason, it was expected the team would continue to be active at the Winter Meetings. While the Dodgers haven’t done a ton this offseason, they are always a threat to make a huge move. Both clubs had relatively quiet weeks, though remain in rumors for significant players. Given what we’ve seen from Houston already, and what we know the Dodgers are capable of doing, you would have to assume both teams are lurking in the background, waiting to make another big move soon. – Chris Cwik

]]>Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:55:38 PSTYahoo Sports StaffmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,450c1a28-a84f-32c0-a15e-11bbcae22b53-l:1Shohei Otani still wants to come to MLB in 2018 despite new rulehttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/shohei-otani-still-wants-to-come-to-mlb-in-2018-despite-new-rule-195230684.html
Shohei Otani would forfeit a significant amount of money by coming to MLB in 2018. (Getty Images/Masterpress)

Nippon Ham Fighters superstar Shohei Otani doesn’t care about the money. Despite the new international spending limits, Otani still plans on coming over to Major League Baseball next offseason, according to Jim Allen of Kyodo News.

Hideki Kuriyama, Otani’s manager in Japan, said Thursday, he still expects him to go in 2018 on minor league deal because it’s about game.

That should come as a bit of a surprise, considering MLB’s stance on altering a new rule in the collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) that would prevent Otani from receiving a massive contract until 2019.

The new rule gives teams a $5 million budget to spend on international free agents every year. That rule, however, doesn’t apply if the player is 25 or older. Because of that, Otani, who is 22, would be limited to a contract around $10 million if he comes over before 2019, when he would be 25. Teams are eligible to trade for international cap salary, which is how Otani could receive around $10 million.

Many believe that would be a massive underpay for one of baseball’s most exciting players. Otani has completely dominated Nippon Professional Baseball as a pitcher, compiling a 2.49 ERA over four seasons. In 2016, he played more of a two-way role, hitting .322 with 22 home runs over 382 plate appearances as the Ham Fighters’ designated hitter. That performance earned him the end of season awards for best pitcher and best DH in NPB. If Otani were a true free-agent, many believe he would receive a contract in excess of $200 million.

Apparently, that doesn’t matter. Otani appears far more interested in testing himself against elite competition than making hundreds of millions immediately. And Otani would have to wait quite some time in order to get paid. Under the new rule, he would be subject to signing a minor-league deal, meaning he would remain under a team’s control for six additional seasons. He wouldn’t be eligible for free agency, and thus a huge payday, for a long time.

Perhaps we should have seen this coming. With the situation in flux Monday, Otani first expressed his desire to play in MLB in 2018. Despite that, many assumed that he might change is mind if MLB refused to alter the new rule, allowing him to get a massive contract.

It looks like Otani was serious the entire time. While it’s admirable that he wants to play on baseball’s biggest stage no matter the cost, Otani is taking a risk by settling for a smaller contract.

Given his talent, MLB should be fortunate he feels that way. The new rule essentially discourages players like Otani from coming over to the majors until they are 25.

While this may have worked out in the league’s favor, Otani could prove to be the exception here. Future players with similar talent may not feel the same way.

For the first time since 1908, there was true joy in Wrigleyville after the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Now we’ll have a unique opportunity to experience the joy up close and personal with some of the Cubs most loyal fans, which range from worldwide celebrities to the family next door.

The aptly titled program “Joy in Wrigleyville,” will be the first offseason installment of the popular documentary series MLB Network Presents. It will air Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, right after the Winter Meetings coverage wraps up. But thanks to the kind folks at MLB Network we were able to view it advance. Trust us, it’s a must-see program for fans of all generations and of all teams.

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Hosted by Bob Costas, the program focuses on the emotions of a starved fanbase as its beloved franchise nears history. We’ll experience all of the highs and lows with them, from the moment the Cubs won the National League pennant for the first time since 1945, to being on the brink of elimination after falling behind three games to one to the Cleveland Indians, to winning a truly epic Game 7.

Many watched the roller coaster ride from the outside looking in. This one-hour show takes us right to the heart of the matter with its focus on the fans and their stories of heartbreak and hope.

The joy of the Chicago Cubs World Series win extended well beyond Progressive Field in Cleveland. (Getty Images)

Here’s a quick synopsis from MLB Network.

The program features interviews with fans detailing the emotional impact of the Cubs’ championship on the city of Chicago, from Smashing Pumpkins lead singer and Illinois native Billy Corgan and Dutchie Caray, the wife of late Cubs announcer Harry Caray, to Mary Beth Talhami, whose 94-year old mother, a lifelong Cubs fan, passed away during the World Series; North Carolina resident Wayne Williams, who drove to Indiana to listen to Game Seven on his phone at his late father’s grave; and nuns from Chicago’s Felician Sisters Convent, who give a different take on the meanings of faith and curses.

Sights and sounds from the streets of Chicago during the Cubs’ World Series title run are featured throughout the hour-long program, including exclusive footage and interviews at the Wrigleyville Fire Department and Harry Caray’s River North restaurant.

The narration has some necessary Cubs flavor as well. Longtime fan John Cusack shares the stories and guides us through this journey from multiple perspectives.

It’s a wonderfully woven story that will keep the baseball fire burning in wake of the Winter Meetings, while giving newfound hope to other starving fanbases waiting for the ultimate payoff.

Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.

THE BIG ONE: If you missed the biggest news of Wednesday night: Aroldis Chapman chose to return to the New York Yankees, agreeing to a record-setting five-year deal worth $86 million. Chapman was the No. 3 overall free agent on the market. [Yahoo Sports]

THE NEXT ONE: Chapman making his choice leaves Kenley Jansen as the latest elite closer on the market. Jansen, the ex-Dodger, is said to be choosing between going back to L.A. or heading to the Miami Marlins. Per Passan, the Marlins are being quite aggressive in their pursuit of Jansen, offering five years and more than $80 million too. [@JeffPassan]

Sources: The Marlins have made a monster offer for Kenley Jansen — almost at the level of Aroldis Chapman. Five years, more than $80M.

OTHER OPTIONS: Teams missing out on Chapman and Jansen could end up turning their attention to Rays closer Alex Colome. The Nationals have reportedly inquired already, but the Rays aren’t expected to move until after the elite closers are gone. [@Joelsherman1]

The next big question of the offseason: Where does Kenley Jansen go? (AP)

ICYMI: The Rockies signed Ian Desmond to five-year, $70M contract on Wednesday. The early assumption is he’ll play first base. [Yahoo Sports]

THEN AGAIN: The Rockies may have bigger plans, which could still include signing a first baseman like Mark Trumbo and then trading an outfielder for a top-end starting pitcher. [@Ken_Rosenthal]

ICYMI: The White Sox continued their rebuilding effort by trading Adam Eaton to the Nats for Lucas Giolito and two other prospects. [Yahoo Sports]

NO CHILL: If you think White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is anywhere near done after trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton at the Winter Meetings, think again.

Hahn on potential of more deals getting done "we would be thrilled if we did 4 more of these press conference before we leave here."

UNDERWHELMED: The Royals haven’t felt overwhelmed by offers for outfielder Jarrod Dyson. He could become a hold with Lorenzo Cain’s future still uncertain. [@JonHeyman]

LET HIM BE: David Ortiz caused a minor stir Tuesday when he teased a return following the Red Sox trade for Chris Sale. Dave Dombrowski knows better than to ask though, stating that Ortiz would call them if he were serious. [Providence Journal]

2018: Are some teams positioning themselves to make a splash when the loaded 2018 free-agent class hits the market? Bob Nightengale thinks so. [USA Today]

]]>Wed, 07 Dec 2016 22:16:32 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,7529e85e-2d5f-3a74-bc7d-10416eb92565-l:1Matt Holliday made sure Yankees can never trade him to one former teamhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/matt-holliday-made-sure-yankees-can-never-trade-him-to-one-former-team-013148075.html

Have you ever lived in a city or worked for a company that you promised yourself you’d never live in or work for again?

New York Yankees free-agent signee Matt Holliday has, and though his chosen profession essentially guarantees he’ll return to the city of his apparent disdain temporarily, the negotiating power of his agent has reportedly guaranteed he won’t return there permanently or work for his former employer again.

Well, at least during the 2017 season.

As we learned on Wednesday, Holliday’s one-year, $13M contract with the Yankees reportedly includes one very interesting and unique provision. It’s essentially a one-team no-trade clause that prevents the Yankees from trading Holliday to the Oakland A’s, where he played during the 2009 season.

Interesting wrinkle in Matt Holliday's deal with Yankees. Contract allows him to block trades to one team: Oakland Athletics.

Holliday was traded from the Rockies to the A’s prior to the 2009 season in a deal that benefited Colorado greatly. The Rockies received outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and closer Huston Street, both of whom played key roles in the Rockies wild-card berth.

As for Holliday’s time in Oakland, it was relatively brief, but he never seemed comfortable. In 93 games, he hit 286/.378/.454 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs. Decent numbers, but nothing close to the numbers he enjoyed previously or afterward. In addition to likely not enjoying hitting in a true pitcher’s ballpark, it’s possible Holliday wasn’t a fan of the organization seemingly having no plans for him other than to flip him again if they didn’t overcome the odds to become a contender.

New Yankee Matt Holliday has no desire to ever play in Oakland again. (AP)

During that season, Holliday was shipped to the St. Louis Cardinals and went on an absolute tear, hitting .353/.419/.604 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs over the final 63 games. You could almost sense the relief and the comfort that trade brought him, so it came as no surprise when Holliday re-upped with St. Louis for seven years.

That’s the contract that just ended for Holliday. Now at 36, he’s obviously not the catch he was back then. He’s more limited in the field, meaning first base and designated hitter are his best bets to provide maximum value. He’s also not the same hitter, but he’s clearly still valuable enough to make one powerful demand: Anyone and anywhere but Oakland.

]]>Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:31:48 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,7a6bb2e4-9449-3361-a976-4d20ef125f88-l:1Done Deals: Mariners get Chris Heston in trade with Giantshttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/done-deals-steve-pearce-reportedly-signs-with-blue-jays-152449476.html
Chris Heston, he of the 2015 no-hitter, is headed to the Mariners. (AP)

This is The Stew’s running list of trades and signings that happen during baseball’s Winter Meetings. We’ll update this post as news happens.

WEDNESDAYMariners get Chris Heston in trade with GiantsBecause Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto wasn’t leaving the Winter Meetings without making at least one trade, the M’s struck a deal with the Giants to acquire pitcher Chris Heston. There’s no immediate return for the Giants. They’ll get a player to be named later. Jon Morosi of MLB.com was first to report the news.

BLS Take: Heston, 28, is best known for throwing a no-hitter in 2015 as a rookie. Beyond that, his MLB career has been pretty unremarkable. He’s 13-12 with a 4.16 ERA in parts of three seasons with the Giants. In 2016, though, he didn’t see much time at the big-league level. He started 14 games in Triple-A (2-9, 4.54) and worked his way through injuries. The real reason the Giants are making the deal? Well, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, they needed to move someone off the 40-man roster to make room for Mark Melancon. In Seattle, Heston should just be considered rotation depth at this point. — Mike Oz

Adam Eaton is on his way to Washington. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Adam Eaton goes to Nats in latest White Sox trade The White Sox are the wheelin’-and-dealin’ team of these Winter Meetings. They did it again by striking a deal with the Washington Nationals sending centerfielder Adam Eaton to D.C. in exchange for three prospects. Pitcher Lucas Giolito, the Nats’ No. 1 overall prospect, goes back to Chicago, as do Reynaldo Lopez (No. 3) and Dane Dunning (No. 6).

BLS Take: It’s a win-now move for the Nats, and maybe a win-now overpay when you consider the level of prospects they’re giving up. But Eaton was a 6.0 WAR player last season and is on the extremely team-friendly contract. You can read more about the deal here.

A.J. Ellis is headed to the Marlins on a one-year deal. (AP)

A.J. Ellis signs with Marlins, reunites with Don Mattingly A busy day for the Miami Marlins continues with the signing of veteran catcher A.J. Ellis to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million. It reunites the former Dodgers catcher with longtime manager Don Mattingly. The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Buster Olney.

BLS Take: Ellis, 35, isn’t much on the stat sheet. He hit two homers last season with a .216 batting average. But he’s beloved by teammates and looked at as one of the best clubhouse guys in baseball. Not to mention he served as Clayton Kershaw’s personal catcher while in L.A., before he was traded to Philadelphia last summer. Ellis will serve as a backup to youngster J.T. Realmuto, who had a breakout season in 2016. Now if the Marlins could just figure out a way to get Kershaw. — Mike Oz

Cubs acquire Wade Davis from the Royals in exchange for outfielder Jorge Soler The long-rumored deal is finally official. The reigning world champs have picked up closer Wade Davis for one season. In exchange, they shipped Jorge Soler to the Royals.

BLS Take: Where to begin? Opinions on Soler range pretty wildly depending on who you ask. Some see a 24-year-old who has struggled with injuries and hit just .258/.328/.434 over 765 plate appearances. Others see a former top prospect who is still relatively young and oozing with potential. The only way to find out which side is right is to give Soler a ton of plate appearances and see what happens. That’s precisely what the Royals will do. Soler is under team control through 2020 at a reasonable price, so if he hits at all, he’ll provide plenty of value for Kansas City.

For the Cubs, they pick up an elite closer after Aroldis Chapman became a free agent. Davis has put up phenomenal numbers with Kansas City since 2014, but was limited by forearm issues last year. As long as injuries aren’t an issue, he should be a fantastic add for the Cubs. The only negative here, aside from the arm trouble, is that Davis is in the last year of his contract. He’ll be a free-agent following 2017.

Dustin McGowan is going back to Miami. (Getty Images/Rob Foldy)

Marlins bring back Dustin McGowan on a one-year deal After posting a 2.82 ERA over 67 innings with the club last season, Dustin McGowan has decided to return to the Miami Marlins on a one-year deal, according to Jon Heyman

BLS Take: McGowan isn’t a great bet to replicate his 2.82 ERA from last year. While he struck out a fair amount of hitters, he struggled with his control, walking 11.8 percent of the batters he faced. That could make him a candidate for regression. Injuries have also been a major issue for McGowan in his career, and that has to be factored in here. With that said, he’s probably not going to make a ton of money, so it’s not the type of deal that will haunt Miami. If he stays healthy, he’ll strike out a fair amount of batters and could post a league-average ERA. That’s a lot of ifs, but that’s expected with McGowan at this point.

Jeff Locke is leaving Pittsburgh for the beaches of Miami. (Getty Images)

BLS Take: Things have been a little rocky for 29-year-old Locke since his breakout year with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. He hasn’t really been able to replicate his success that season, and has seen his ERA balloon. In 2016, he pitched to a 5.44 ERA in 127.1 innings, and by the end of the season he was moved to the bullpen before it was revealed he was dealing with some shoulder soreness. But he’s capable of pitching well, and the Marlins definitely see that. It’s not clear right now if the Marlins intend to use Locke in the rotation or in the bullpen, but they need starting pitching help Even though Locke is a backend starter at best, he can probably eat some innings and provide a little stability. And at $3 million for one year, he’s worth the gamble. — Liz Roscher

The Rockies signed Ian Desmond to a huge deal Wednesday. (Getty Images/Scott Halleran)

Ian Desmond signs a five-year contract with Rockies The Colorado Rockies have snuck in and signed Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70 million contract, as Yahoo Sports’ own Jeff Passan has reported. The Rockies will be giving up their No. 11 pick in the upcoming draft as a consequence, since Desmond was extended a qualifying offer by the Texas Rangers and turned it down.

BLS Take: Desmond’s bouceback year in 2016 has done exactly what he hoped it would. After a down year with the Nationals in 2015, he rounded back into form with the Rangers, hitting .285/.335/.446 after a very successful move to center field. Prior to this season, Desmond had played shortstop his entire career, and he’ll play yet another new position in 2017: the Rockies apparently want him to play first base as well as some outfield.

The Rockies love getting guys with some power, and Desmond is that guy. He’s hit at least 20 home runs in four of his last five seasons, and in that one outlier season he hit 19. Coors Field is famous for its towering home runs, aided by the thin mountain air, so Desmond will probably enjoy playing there (though it won’t do much for his strikeout totals). Despite that, it’s unclear what the Rockies are doing right now; they appeared to be on the edge of heading into a rebuild, especially after the departure of manager Walt Weiss, but signing Desmond adds more pop and stability to their lineup. (And giving up a No. 11 pick isn’t exactly the action of a rebuilding team.) Between Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story, and now Desmond, they may end up seeing where this season takes them before going back to square one. — Liz Roscher

Carlos Gomez will be back in a Rangers uniform for 2017. (AP)

TUESDAYCarlos Gomez returns to Rangers on one-year deal The temporary marriage between the Texas Rangers and Carlos Gomez at the end of last season turned out well enough that Gomez will reportedly be back in Arlington next season. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers that will pay $11.5 million. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan was first to report a deal was close. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports said it was agreed upon.

BLS Take: We already know this is a good fit, as Gomez turned around his season in 2016 after he signed with the Rangers in August, two days after being released by the Houston Astros. Gomez hit .284 with eight homers in 33 games for the Rangers after hitting .210 with five homers in 85 games for the Astros. Rangers skipper Jeff Banister is said to be a big fan of Beltran, so that helps too. The Rangers have been looking to improve their outfield, but GM Jon Daniels has gone on record recently saying they wouldn’t make any splashy moves. If that’s the case, then getting Gomez (who had an 8.5 WAR season just three years ago) for $11.5 million is a worthwhile risk. — Mike Oz

Watch out for arrows, Phoenix. (AP)

Fernando Rodney signs one-year pact with D-backs Get ready to catch some invisible arrows, Arizona. The D-backs have reportedly signed relief pitcher Fernando Rodney to a one-year deal worth $2.75 million plus incentives. That’s per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, who also says the D-backs plan to use Rodney as their closer.

Rodney agreement with dbacks is for $2.75M plus many, many inventives. Plan is for him to close.

BLS Take: The three big closers on the free-agent market are going to get paid more than $200 million this offseason. That includes Mark Melancon, who got $62 million over four seasons from the Giants this week. In that context, the D-backs giving Rodney $2.75 million is a prudent and potentially smart deal. If it works out and they get a decent closer, great. If not, hey, it’s $2.75 million, which isn’t anything in baseball money. Rodney is 39, so he’s on the decline, but he still saved 25 games last season and has notched 89 saves over the past three seasons.

Veteran catcher Wilson Ramos is headed to the Rays, according to reports. (Getty Images)

Rays agree to two-year deal with catcher Wilson Ramos The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the quieter teams so far this winter. That changed on Tuesday, however, as the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports they’ve reached a two-year agreement with free agent catcher Wilson Ramos, pending a physical. According to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, Ramos will get $12.5M, though playing time incentives could take the deal to $18.25M.

BLS Take: The results of Ramos’ physical will actually be worth monitoring, as he’s currently recovering from October surgery to repair damage to the anterior cruciate ligament, medial meniscus and lateral meniscus in his right knee. Ramos suffered the injury on Sept. 27, right before the Washington Nationals postseason run, and is expected to require six-to-eight months of recovery. As such, the injury could make a return to full health in 2017 difficult.

The injury was an unfortunate turn of events for Ramos, who figured to score big in free agency beforehand. He was enjoying a career year, batting .307/.354/.496 with 22 home runs and 80 RBIs in 523 plate appearances. Those numbers would have played very well in this market. As it stands, the Rays could have a relative bargain and an attractive trade chip down the road should Ramos prove healthy. Also helping matters is the fact he can DH while working his way back. — Mark Townsend

BLS Take: Dave Dombrowski isn’t messing around on Tuesday. Before taking the stage on MLB Network to discuss his blockbuster acquisition of Chris Sale, the Red Sox president could be seen working the phones. Apparently that was in effort to finish the Moreland deal, which was reported just moments later.

The Red Sox were originally believed to be in the mix for Edwin Encarnacion, but those talks had died down at the Winter Meetings. When they stepped up to make the Sale deal, it became apparent they would move down a tier in searching for a bat. That’s where they found Moreland, who will help the void left by trading Travis Shaw earlier in the day more so than the void of David Ortiz. The 31-year-old Moreland had a down year in 2016, hitting .233/.298/.422 22 homers and 60 RBIs. — Mark Townsend

The Boston Red Sox went all-in on Tuesday by trading for ace Chris Sale. (Getty Images)

Tyler Thornburg is moving to Boston to pitch for the Red Sox . (Getty Images)

Brewers send Tyler Thornburg to Red Sox for three players The Milwaukee Brewers are sending late-innings reliever Tyler Thornburg to the Boston Red Sox for third baseman Travis Shaw and two minor leaguers: infielder Mauricio Dubon, and pitcher Josh Pennington.

BLS Take: The Red Sox are shoring up their bullpen, as Thornburg was excellent for the Brewers last season. In 67 innings, he had a 2.15 ERA with 90 strikeouts. He took over as closer when Jeremy Jeffress was traded to the Rangers along with Jonathan Lucroy on August 1, and he flourished. Thornburg notched 11 saves from that point on (for 13 total on the season), and a 1.85 ERA. He won’t close for the Red Sox, as they’ve got Craig Kimbrel, but most likely will setup games for him.

The Brewers can hopefully figure out how to maximize Travis Shaw’s value. He played the outfield and first base, which is helpful, but his stats against left-handed pitchers were not helpful. He hit just .187/.235/.364 against them last season, dragging his overall triple slash down to .242/.306/.421. He did hit 16 home runs though, which is definitely valuable. Infielder Mauricio Dubon has made it to Double-A and he’s looking pretty competent with the bat, and he’s also No. 12 on MLBPipeline.com’s list of Red Sox prospects. Josh Pennington is 22 on the same list, and he’s made it to Low-A ball. Three players is an impressive haul for just one reliever, but that’s what the market demands these days. — Liz Roscher

BLS Take: Benoit’s 2016 was essentially a Tale of Two Seasons. He started out with the Seattle Mariners and did pretty terribly in 26 games. He pitched 24.1 innings and racked up a 5.18 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 15 walks. Woof. In late July, the Mariners traded Benoit to the Blue Jays, and that’s when things turned around. He pitched 23.2 innings for Toronto, almost exactly what he pitched for Seattle, but the result could not have been more different. His ERA was 0.38, with nine walks and 24 strikeouts. His time in Seattle was almost surely an anomaly: before the 2016 season started, his ERA since 2010 was 2.35.

The Phillies desperately needed to upgrade their bullpen, especially since it kept vomiting all over itself in the 2016 home stretch. In the final month of the season, the Phillies had an MLB-worst 7.88 bullpen ERA, more than two runs worse than the second-to-last team. Over the whole season, the Phillies had the third-worst bullpen ERA in baseball (5.05). Benoit can’t fix it all on his own, but he’s a definite upgrade. — Liz Roscher

After a strong second half, Rich Hill will return to Los Angeles. (Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey)

Dodgers sign Rich Hill to a three-year, $48 million dealThe Los Angeles Dodgers liked what they saw from Rich Hill in the second half of the season. The team agreed to bring back the 36-year-old lefty for three more years, signing him to a deal worth $48 million, according to Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown.

BLS Take: Three years and $48 million seems like a significant amount of money for a guy who was pitching in an independent league just a few years ago, but there’s no reason to doubt Hill’s resurgence on the mound the past few seasons. When healthy, he’s one of the best pitchers in the game.

Health is a major issue, though. Hill was limited by blisters last year, tossing just 110 1/3 innings. While his path to stardom has been unique, it was only the second time in his career that he’s thrown over 100 innings in a single season. On top of that, there’s some concern about his age. Few pitchers remain effective well into their late 30s. Hill might continue to be great next year, but there are legitimate reasons to worry about how his skill set will hold up a year or two from now.

With that said, he’s a good fit for Los Angeles. He clearly enjoyed his time there, and the team has the luxury of being able to make it if Hill needs to miss a month with an injury. It’s tough to call the Dodgers’ rotation dependable considering all the injury-prone players on the roster, but they do have depth at the position. — Chris Cwik

Giants ink Mark Melancon to four-year dealThe San Francisco Giants finally have some relief help. After blowing an incredible 30 saves last year, the Giants signed closer Mark Melancon to a four-year, $62 million deal to shore up the bullpen.

BLS Take: Melancon’s deal is a record-breaker for a relief pitcher, and considering his 1.80 ERA over the past four years, it makes sense. With that said, giving long-term deals to relievers, even the best ones in the game, rarely work out. Melancon is great, and fills a huge need in San Francisco, but it’s tough to expect him to live up to that deal three or four years from now. Next season, though, he should be great, and will prevent Giants’ fans from having heart palpitations as often in the ninth inning.

While the cost is crazy, everyone knew the relief market was going to be nuts this year. Both Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman remain available, and should receive more than Melancon. If you want an elite closer, you have to pay. That doesn’t mean it’s a smart way for teams to spend their money, it’s just the way things are heading this offseason. — Chris Cwik

Steve Pearce is headed to Toronto. (Getty Images)

Blue Jays sign Steve Pearce to two-year deal Super-utilityman Pearce, who had been on the Baltimore Orioles three separate times (most recently in 2016 with stints with the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays in between), has a new home with the Blue Jays.

Sources: The Jays and Steve Pearce agree to a two-year, $12.5 million deal.

BLS Take: Pearce plays first base, second base, outfield, and he has some power, so he could have found a home nearly anywhere. He hit ten homers in 60 games with the Rays in 2016, and his triple slash was an impressive .309/.388/.520. When the Rays traded him to Baltimore on August 1, his stats took a massive nosedive, and he hit just .217/.329/.400 in 25 games with the Orioles. He would have played more, but he went on the DL with a whole host of right arm issues and ended up having surgery to repair the tendons in his forearm.

Even though he spent a decent chunk of the season nursing right elbow/forearm issues, he’s not a reclamation project by any stretch of the imagination. Despite his injures (and he’s racked up more than a few in the past several years) he’s versatile, and in a park like Rogers Centre, his bat is likely to play well. Even when he’s not hitting great, he can still pop it out of the park. In 2015, he hit .218/.289/.422, but he had 15 home runs. — Liz Roscher

In a span of hours, Boston added another ace by acquiring Chris Sale in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. They also picked up a critical bullpen piece, trading for right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers. To cap off their big afternoon, Boston signed first baseman/designated hitter Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal.

Though the Red Sox also parted with coveted prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech, that series of moves changed the landscape quickly, moving Boston from a 9/1 favorite on Nov. 3 to a 11/2 on Wednesday. That closed the gap on Chicago, which was a 7/2 favorite the day after winning the 2016 World Series, and is now a 15/4 favorite.

Boston’s acquisition of Chris Sale from a real needle-mover according to Las Vegas oddsmakers. (Getty Images)

Here’s a look at Bovada’s current top ten based on the offseason moves made so far, with their Nov. 3 odds in parenthesis.

Despite a disappointing exit in the postseason and the retirement of David Ortiz, Boston has been the American League favorite all along. Still, the movement we’ve seen in the wake of the Sale acquisition is significant. It means the Cubs and Red Sox are likely to remain strong favorites throughout the offseason and well into the 2017 season, when we’ll get a better idea of where every team stands.

A couple other changes worth noting involve Boston’s longtime rival, the New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both currently sit at 14/1, along with the San Francisco Giants, but that represents a notable rise for the Yankees, and a big fall for Dodgers, who have yet to make an offseason impact.

The positioning of the second tier teams is fluid with several big decisions and trades yet to be made, but the trends certainly speak to which teams are positioned well and which teams could be scrambling in the weeks ahead.

Rejoice and be glad, because Tim Tebow baseball cards are coming just in time for the holidays. Panini America will release its 2016 Elite Extra Edition on Dec. 21, which will feature an autographed card of Tebow with the New York Mets.

This technically isn’t the first Tebow baseball card to be available to the public. Leaf put out some on-demand cards of Tebow which can be purchased on the company’s page on eBay. That Leaf list was somewhat … gimmicky … as it also included cards featuring Gene Wilder, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and Harambe.

The Elite Extra Edition card will be the first autographed Tebow card to hit the market, and will represent the first time Tebow will be included in an actual pack of baseball cards. We should note that not every Tebow card comes autographed. Those are limited.

Traditionally, statistics are included on the back of baseball cards. If that’s the case here, this card should show that Tebow hit .194/.296/.242 over 62 at-bats with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. He drove in 19 runs on 12 hits, including three doubles. Tebow also produced eight walks and 20 strikeouts. He stole one base, but was caught stealing twice.

If you want to try and snag this particular Tebow card, you can purchase a set of five packs on the Panini America website. It will cost you $100, but that comes with 25 cards, including 10 autographed ones. It doesn’t ensure you’ll get Tebow, but it gives you a chance.

Hey, December is the season of giving. So, go on out and preorder those packs to try and get a Tebow card for the baseball fan in your life. We know Tebow would approve, he gave away a ton of outs to opposing pitchers this fall.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Washington Nationals are getting the centerfielder they’ve been chasing and the Chicago White Sox now look like a team stockpiling big-name prospects.

The two teams completed a trade Wednesday that will send Adam Eaton to the Nats in exchange for a package of prospects led by Lucas Giolito, a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher who is the Nats’ No. 1 overall prospect. The Sox are getting two more minor-league pitchers too.

According to Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago, the White Sox are also getting Reynaldo Lopez, the Nats’ No. 3 prospect, and Dane Dunning, the Nats’ No. 6 prospect.

That’s a big return for Eaton, a 28-year-old who slashed .284/.362/.428 last season and plays above-average defense. He was worth 6.0 Wins Above Replacement last season, according to Fangraphs, which was tied for eighth-best in the American League, on par with Robinson Cano. Adding Eaton also allows the Nats to move prized youngster Trea Turner out of the outfield, so he can play shortstop full-time.

“Adam fit our club perfectly, left-handed bat, balances our lineup, high energy guy, edge to him, plays the game the right way,” said Nats GM Mike Rizzo. “We see the arrow still going up with him and he’s a guy that will have years of control and cost certainty and it allows us the flexibility to do many more things.”

Making Eaton even more appealing to the Nats is his contract. He’s under team control through 2022 and is due $4 million next season, $6 million in 2018 and $8.4 million in 2019. The Nats will now hold team options for Eaton: $9.5 million in 2020 and $10.5 million in 2021.

Adam Eaton is on his way to Washington. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

What the Nats are saving in money, they might be giving up in future talent. Dunning was the Nats’ first-round pick (No. 29 overall) last year. Lopez, 22, struck out 126 hitters in 109 minor-league innings last season. He was also 5-3 with a 4.91 in 11 big-league appearances.

Giolito, of course, was one of the Nats’ most-coveted youngsters the last few years. He ranks as the No. 3 overall prospect in the game, according to MLB Pipeline. He made his MLB debut last season, starting four games and make two relief appearances for the Nats. He had 6.75 ERA. In five minor-league seasons, he had a 2.73 ERA.

With Tuesday’s trade of Chris Sale, that means the White Sox have acquired three of MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects in two days. Yoan Moncada, the centerpiece of the Sale deal, ranks No. 1. and pitcher Michael Kopech, also in the Sale deal, ranks No. 30. And Lopez isn’t far behind. He’s No. 38 on the list.

Now that we’re in the last full day of the Winter Meetings — Thursday is mostly the Rule 5 Draft then getting to the airport on time — it’s time to see what unfinished business teams are trying to wrap up before we all depart the Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center.

For this installment of the Winter Meetings Journal, we’re starting with five rumors like always, then a trip around the trade show, news on a long-overdue Hall of Fame nod and my favorite moment of the 2016 meetings.

FIVE HOT RUMORS FOR TODAY 1. It could be time for us to get some decisions out of the top two closers on the market. Our own Jeff Passan says there’s a belief that it could get sorted out soon. Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen are the two men in line for big paydays, as the Dodgers, Nats, Cubs and Marlins are looking for top-flight closers.

There's an increasing sense among teams in the elite-closer market that Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman could be close to decisions.

2. With the Chris Sale trade out of the way, the Houston Astros are now reportedly trying to pry Jose Quintana away from the Chicago White Sox, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. His price will be high too, as Quintana is an underrated arm who is on a team-friendly contract until 2021.

5. Another place to look in the pitching trade market is the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have a number of young pitchers who might be appealing to other teams. The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro looks into things, but says the prices could be high.

LOOK AT THIS STUFF FROM THE TRADE SHOW The Winter Meetings Trade Show isn’t exactly the main event here, but it’s definitely worth a lap if you ever find yourself at the meetings. It’s mostly aimed at baseball teams, a place to scout out items like popcorn makers, stadium seats and various types of merchandise and promo items.

Some of this makes it to the consumer level. Some is just an idea trying to take off. Here’s what caught my eye.

A NEW KING IN THE HALL OF FAME Bill King is finally headed for the Hall of Fame, a well-deserved honor for long-time Oakland Athletics announcer, the winner of the 2016 Ford C. Frick Award. King, who died in 2005 at 78, worked 25 years as the A’s radio play-by-play voice.

THE GREATEST THINGS I’VE EVER SEEN AT THE WINTER MEETINGS We’ll end this entry of the Winter Meetings Journal with a moment I watched over and over and over Tuesday. It answers the question of how the huge Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents move around when the ceilings are normal height.

Imagine being a Colorado Rockies fan Wednesday morning. As you sit at work hoping your team does something this offseason, your phone buzzes. It’s a Rockies alert. You slowly start to read the words.

“Rockies agree,” it begins, and you start to get excited. The Rockies signed someone. That’s great.

The next words read, “to $70 million deal.” OK, now you’re losing your mind. Seventy million is a lot of money. It looks like the Rockies just signed an elite player. Maybe it was Edwin Encarnacion. He seems like a fit.

The message finishes, “with Ian Desmond.” You stare at your phone for what feels like an hour, unable to gather your thoughts. Something finally comes to your mind and you blurt it out immediately. It’s just one word.

“What?”

That’s an apt response. Desmond signing with the Rockies presents far more questions than it does answers. Since this is a deal that can’t simply be summed up as “good” or “bad” on the surface, it’s worth exploring all the questions and seeing if we can figure out exactly what the Rockies are thinking.

ARE THE ROCKIES GOING FOR IT NOW? It looks like it. You don’t go out and sign Ian Desmond for $70 million over five years if you’re planning to win 70 games. More importantly, you don’t give up the 11th pick in the upcoming draft unless you think you’re pretty close to making the playoffs. This is the type of move made by a team that believes it’s a contender.

OK, BUT CAN THE ROCKIES ACTUALLY CONTEND? Maybe? OK, that’s not a great answer, but Colorado is probably closer than you think. The team sat on the fringes of the National League wild card race in early August. On Aug. 4, the Rockies were 54-54, and just three games out of a playoff spot. They couldn’t keep that up, and finished with 75 wins.

Despite the fading second half, there’s talent here. Just look at that offense. If the team can find a way to get everyone in the lineup (we’ll get to that), their projected top-7 in the batting order looks like this:

Charlie Blackmon

DJ LeMahieu

Nolan Arenado

Carlos Gonzalez

Ian Desmond

David Dahl

Trevor Story

You could get the vapors just looking at that lineup. Even if LeMahieu and Dahl don’t fully produce at the same level they showed last year, that’s an incredible batting order. Remember, all those guys get to play half their games at Coors Field. Could the Rockies score a million runs? No, that’s crazy. Could they score a lot of runs. Yes, easily.

YEAH, BUT AREN’T THE ROCKIES ALWAYS SUNK BY PITCHING? Yes. That’s true. Pitching in Coors Field is a terrible fate that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemies. With that said, the Rockies boast more talent in the rotation than normal heading into 2017. Jon Gray’s 4.61 ERA was pretty average, but he posted strong peripherals and put together some really exceptional starts. Tyler Anderson put up some pretty encouraging numbers during his rookie season, posting a 3.54 ERA over 114 1/3 innings. Even Tyler Chatwood was usable. That’s neat. The team also broke in hard-throwing righty Jeff Hoffman at the end of the season. His numbers in the majors weren’t great, but he’s 23 and has a prospect pedigree. There are still questions here, but also more talent than you would normally expect from the Rockies’ pitching staff.

WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSE? IS THERE A NEW RULE SAYING TEAMS HAVE TO START FOUR OUTFIELDERS? There is not a new rule and that makes this whole signing … complicated. Desmond played center field last year for the Texas Rangers. Prior to that, he was a shortstop with the Washington Nationals. The Rockies, as you already know, have a really strong outfield and will play Trevor Story at short. So, where does that leave Desmond?

Early reports seem to indicate he’s going to play first base, and that seems like a bad idea. It’s not that Desmond can’t play the position, he’s clearly athletic. But it seems like a waste of resources to sign a guy with Desmond’s versatility and then stick him at first base.

Of course, it’s possible the Rockies are just saying that now because they don’t want to let teams know they are planning to deal one of their outfielders to make room for Desmond. If the team opens up an outfield spot, the Desmond signing seems a bit more logical.

OK, SO WHO’S GETTING TRADED Probably Blackmon. His name already started to crop up in trade rumors shortly after Desmond was signed. Considering Dexter Fowler is the only other legitimate center fielder on the market, a number of teams could jump at Blackmon if the miss out, or don’t want to spend the money on Fowler.

IF THE ROCKIES MOVE DESMOND AWAY FROM FIRST, WHO PLAYS THERE? Ready for some wild speculation? If the Rockies are going for it with Desmond, why not continue to go nuts. Both Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo are still on the market, and it would be awfully fun to watch either of them mash dingers in Coors Field. While Trumbo seems to be holding out for a lot of money, Encarnacion’s market is in flux right now. Maybe he can be had for less than expected?

If the Rockies have reached their spending limit, the team could also try to swing a deal for Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. The two have already been linked this offseason, and the White Sox seem willing to sell off anyone of value after trading Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Can Ian Desmond live up to his massive contract. (Getty Images/Rick Yeatts)

IS THIS A GOOD SIGNING? Fine, if you’re going to put us on the spot, we’ll say probably not. Desmond’s success in 2016 was based on an exceptional first half, in which he hit .322/.375/.524. He was pretty awful in the second half, hitting .237/.283/.347. Put all that together with his depressed lines from 2014 and 2015, and his 2016 first half numbers stick out as a huge fluke.

It’s also unclear whether he should play center field. Desmond has range, and is athletic, but is still inexperienced and raw out there. For every excellent play he made, he also misread balls and made simple mistakes. It’s a big ask to make him play center in Coors Field, which boasts one of the biggest outfields in baseball.

IT’S NOT ALL NEGATIVE, RIGHT? Nope. Coors Field tends to cure a lot of hitting woes, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Desmond replicate his 2016 slash line. And though he might have trouble living up to his five-year, $70 million deal, his contract will be paid out in a unique way. Desmond will make $8 million in 2017, but then $22 million in 2018. That figure drops to $15 million for 2019 and 2020, and then falls back to $8 million in 2021.

His price tag is incredibly small this year, meaning maybe the Rockies can sign another big-time player to make a playoff push. While Desmond will make $22 million in 2018, there’s still a chance he’ll be producing strong offensive numbers at that point. He might be worth it.

While his age and approach (lots of strikeouts, few walks), make him a tough bet to be productive in his mid-to-late 30s, at least he won’t be making as much at that point.

WHAT’S YOUR FINAL VERDICT? The magic of Coors Field will probably make Desmond a useful enough hitter to live up to that contract in the early years. And if the Rockies are truly going for it now, Desmond helps them win games and gets them closer to the playoffs. He can’t do it alone, though, and you would expect the Rockies to go out and make another move if they really want to contend.

The defense is going to be an issue. Either Desmond is wasted at first or he’s stretched in center. You shouldn’t expect a ton of value on that end.

Finally, Desmond doesn’t project as a player who will age well. Aside from his 2016 first half explosion, he’s already shown decline at the plate. He’s always had an undisciplined approach, and that’s not likely to improve now. Once his bat slows and his contact rate drops, he’s in big trouble. The instant that happens, this contract becomes a problem. And it will happen. Father Time comes for all of us.

DID YOU JUST WRITE 1,400 WORDS ON THE ROCKIES SIGNING IAN DESMOND? Yes. But you know what, that’s the fun thing about this. With the move, the Rockies have at least made themselves interesting and worth writing about. They already have the look of a dark-horse, sleeper playoff team for 2017, and that offense is going to be a lot of fun to watch. They might even have one or two pitchers you won’t hate.

For the first time in a while, the Rockies are getting some buzz. Even if the Desmond signing doesn’t work out, that has to feel good for the fans.

Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.

THE HOTTEST RUMOR OF THE NIGHT: The Cubs and Royals were hot and heavy about a Wade Davis trade throughout Tuesday night. The offer reportedly being considered is a 1-for-1, Davis for outfielder Jorge Soler. The Cubs aren’t the only team in on Davis, though. At this point, it’s safe to say the Cubs are the favorite to land Davis but it’s not finished yet. [@JeffPassan]

Source: While the Cubs/Royals' Wade Davis-for-Jorge Soler trade is "seriously down the road," it is not expected to be completed tonight.

ANOTHER ROYAL ON THE MOVE? In addition to the Wade Davis trade, the Royals are also working on a trade to send speedster Jarrod Dyson to the Oakland A’s. [NY Post]

Will the Royals turn into sellers and move Wade Davis and others? (AP)

GETTING PAID: Now that a benchmark has been set by Mark Melancon’s deal with the Giants, a market for closer Aroldis Chapman has been well established. According to reports, Chapman has received multiple offers that have are over $80M in total value. The Yankees remain his hottest suitor, but the Dodgers and Marlins aren’t far behind. [@JonHeyman]

NOT WAITING?: One might think Kenley Jansen, the other elite closer available, would wait to see where Chapman lands before commanding his own bidding. However, there’s speculation he’ll end up signing before Chapman. [ESPN]

TRUMBLOWN: The Mariners were said to be after Mark Trumbo, but the latest rumor says that was exaggerated, though the two sides are talking. [@ChrisCotillo]

THEM TOO: The Indians, who are still seeking a big bat, are also said to be interested in Trumbo. They’re chasing Edwin Encarnacion too. [@JonHeyman]

ON PAR: On Monday, it was reported that Dexter Fowler received a four-year, $60M offer from the Toronto Blue Jays. Now comes word that the St. Louis Cardinals are offering a deal in the same range. [ESPN]

SPEAKING OF THE JAYS: They’re talking with Jose Bautista again, you know, since Orioles fans don’t like him enough. [@TheHazelMae]

DONE DEALS: Tuesday was an active day at the Winter Meetings. Get caught up on all of the done deals via our running tracker. [Yahoo Sports]

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: The D-backs hired longtime MLB pitcher Dan Haren, who is also the owner of one of baseball’s best Twitter accounts, for a front-office job. He’ll be their new “pitching strategist.” [Arizona Republic]

Retired Red Sox star David Ortiz reiterated all season and continued promising after the fact that he has no intentions of playing again in 2017 or beyond. Could it be though that Boston’s monumental trade for Chicago White Sox Chris Sale on Tuesday has Big Papi rethinking his decision?

That’s the question we must pose based on Ortiz’s most recent Instagram post.

“Thinking” can be interpreted any number of ways, of course, but if Ortiz is seriously thinking about what Red Sox fans hope he’s thinking about, then now might be a good time for them to start praying.

In all likelihood though, Ortiz is just having a little fun with Red Sox fans. He’s said numerous times that his body is beaten up and that preparing for games had become an arduous task. Throughout his entire farewell tour he sounded like a guy who had come to terms with his health and was at peace with his decision, regardless of how the season ended.

David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox talks with Chris Sale #49 of the Chicago White Sox during the 87th Annual MLB All-Star Game. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Truth be told, the ending couldn’t have been any more disappointing. The Red Sox failed to even win a postseason game, let alone advance. For some players, that could be enough to rekindle the flame to some degree. And for some players, acquiring a pitcher like Chris Sale could be like lighting a candle with a blowtorch. But the reality is that Ortiz’s baseball playing days are more than likely behind him.

The Red Sox continued moving on Tuesday, signing Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal.

Now the baseball world must move on too, even as Ortiz continues flashing his charm.

]]>Tue, 06 Dec 2016 18:58:37 PSTYahoo Sports StaffmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,74db9fc5-d401-3eb4-b633-da53c6582291-l:1Cubs to split up record $27.5 million in postseason pool moneyhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/cubs-to-split-up-record-27-5-million-in-postseason-pool-money-014141681.html

Thanks to another record year of revenue in Major League Baseball and a historic World Series victory, Chicago Cubs players are set to receive a hefty postseason bonus.

As announced by MLB on Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs will split up a record $27,586,017.75 postseason pot among their players. Since the Cubs will be issuing 66 full shares, that means each player will receive $368,871.59. That’s actually down from the $370,069.03 each Kansas City Royals player received after winning the 2015 World Series, but only because they awarded 58 full shares.

As for the AL champion Indians, who missed three chances to win the series and the larger share, they received $18,390,678.50. They plan to issue 60 full shares, valued at $261,804.65.

The Chicago Cubs celebrate after winning Game 7 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians on Nov. 3, 2016, in Cleveland. Photo from Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Overall, the players’ pool spread among the 10 postseason teams rose from $69,882,149.26. to $76,627,827.09, which was also a new record. Here’s the formula for how MLB reaches that number and for how the pool is divided among teams.

The players’ pool is formed from 50 percent of the gate receipts from the Wild Card Games; 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series; 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first four games of the League Championship Series; and 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first four games of the World Series. The players’ pool was divided among the 10 Postseason Clubs: the two World Series participants, the two League Championship Series runners-up, the four Division Series runners-up and the two runners-up in the Wild Card Games.

It’s up to the teams to decide how many full and partial shares are given out. Obviously, players who contributed the most to the team’s success will receive full shares. As for part-timers or players let go during the season, a partial share is often prorated by percentage of the season a player was with the team. Though in some instances those players end up getting shut out.

There are also special circumstances in which non-players receive shares. In 2007, the Colorado Rockies voted a full share to the family of Mike Coolbaugh, who was killed by a line drive while coaching first base during a minor league game.

There’s no word on who all will be receiving a Cubs share this winter, but this proves once again that it pays to win.

Most baseball teams treat undesirable free agents they same way you might treat a failing relationship. When it’s clear things aren’t going to work out, you offer up some bland reasoning and try and break things off cleanly. If you’re lucky, that softens the blow and both sides are able to walk away with their dignity intact.

Well, we found out Tuesday that the Baltimore Orioles are the spiteful ex of baseball. After meeting with Jose Bautisa’s camp Tuesday, the Orioles offered up a cold-blooded reason for passing on the outfielder.

Orioles prefer to keep draft, too, but to explain why Bautista doesn’t fit, they told JB camp: O’s fans just don’t like him

Ouch. That has to hurt. And while you would think Bautista is used to that type of thing, it’s pretty brutal that the Orioles came out and said it to him.

It’s also an incredibly dumb way to run your franchise. Look, we get that Bautista’s antics rub a lot of people the wrong way. His incredible postseason bat-flip caused plenty of controversy, and led to one of the most intense baseball brawls we’ve seen in years. Opposing fans hate that he shows emotion and celebrates big moments. And they hate that he constantly complains about the strike zone.

Toronto Blue Jays fans, however, seem to love him. That’s because Jose Bautista is an incredibly good player who can still perform on the field. When he’s constantly clobbering balls over the left field wall, you tend to ignore all the other stuff because he’s helping you win games.

Sure, some Orioles fans would be mad about the signing at first, but they would likely come around the instant Bautista hit his first walk-off home run with the club. Fans like winning games far more than holding grudges.

There are legitimate reasons for Baltimore to pass on Bautista too. He’s now 36 years old and coming off a season in which he hit .243/.366/.452. He also would cost the team a draft pick.

Knowing all that, the team could have offered up the usual excuse and said “there wasn’t a fit,” or that the “money didn’t add up.” Instead, they decided to go scorched Earth, ensuring this was not going to be an amiable breakup.

Bautista hasn’t responded to all this just yet, possibly because he’s too busy listening to Dashboard Confessional, staring at the Orioles’ Facebook page and wistfully thinking about what could have been.

If New York Mets manager Terry Collins gets his way, Tim Tebow will be suiting up and playing for his team during spring training.

On Tuesday, Collins told the gathered media at the Winter Meetings that he’d like to see the former Heisman Trophy winner get a real opportunity to showcase his skills this spring, which would obviously include getting playing time during Grapefruit League action.

Those groans you hear aren’t just coming from National Harbor, site of the 2016 Winter Meetings. They’re coming from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida and all points in between.

The Tebow baseball experiment was fun for a hot-minute and perhaps even interesting for a couple minutes longer. He didn’t appear to be anything close to a contributor though during his recent stint in the Arizona Fall League (AFL), and the idea that he might take several at-bats and defensive innings away from someone who could contribute sooner than later seems rather absurd.

For a little perspective on Tebow’s AFL struggles, he hit 194 (12-of-62) with three doubles over 19 games. That equaled an abysmal .242 slugging percentage. And while he did show a keen eye at the plate, drawing eight walks, he also struck out 20 times in 70 plate appearances.

Does Tim Tebow deserve a chance in spring training? (Getty Images)

This isn’t to say Tebow can’t still develop his baseball skills. His work ethic is undeniable and his athleticism is world class. But the reality is he’s 29 years old right now, and he’s about where an average 19-year-old prospect might be in terms of his development. That doesn’t leave much room for upside, and attempting to accelerate that development against major-league and top-level minor league talent might actually set him back.

The AFL was a good testing ground for Tebow. Though again, he probably took away an opportunity from someone who could have actually turned some heads. Regardless, it confirmed that he’s not close to helping a major league team. And it also confirmed that his best current asset is to help drive ticket sales and interest, which is why the Mets might not need much prodding to suit him up come spring.

For the first time in over 20 years, “rebuild” isn’t a dirty word on the South Side. After decades of half measures, the Chicago White Sox are going all-in, just not in the way many expected. With the trade of All-Star pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox, the White Sox are finally embracing what has been evident for a while now: It’s time to start over.

The Sale trade seems to indicate that the White Sox are serious about about a complete tear down. That means Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera, Jose Quintana, Adam Eaton, David Robertson and Jose Abreu could all go before the start of 2017.

None of this seemed possible a few years ago. When Kenny Williams was the club’s general manager, the White Sox operated in a state of weird baseball limbo. The team constantly found itself in a position to win 80 per year, and used that to stay on the fringes of contention for quite some time.

But since they always had talented players, the franchise never fully went all-in to win a World Series title. Sure, they would occasionally shock the baseball world by signing a David Robertson or trading for a Todd Frazier, but then they would enter the season with Avisail Garcia as the starting right fielder.

This strategy led to some success. The team won the 2005 World Series, after all. But it mostly led to second place finishes. Over the past 20 years, the White Sox have finished in second place in their division nine times. They were often contenders, but not serious contenders.

By trading Chris Sale on Tuesday, the White Sox admitted they are ready to rebuild. (Getty Images/Jon Durr)

While some franchises would kill to have that level of consistency, that approach comes at a pretty huge cost. Because the White Sox fought to remain on the fringes of contention, they were never able to develop a true minor-league system.

Promising prospects would get traded for players who would help the team win 83 games, drafts would focus on major-league ready players who lacked high ceilings, but could contribute in the majors sooner.

The former of the two mostly worked out for Chicago. While the team has traded away talented youngsters, none have really come back to bite them. The latter, however, destroyed the organization.

Between 2001 and 2007, the White Sox drafted the following players: Kris Honel, Roger Ring, Brian Anderson, Josh Fields, Lance Broadway, Kyle McCulloch and Aaron Poreda. Of that group, only four ever made it to the majors. Of those four, Broadway performed the best, posting a 0.5 fWAR over 55 career innings.

With the minor-league system in tatters, and the major-league team again on the fringes, some clubs might have opted to start again. Not the White Sox. The club refused to even utter the word “rebuild” until four years later. That’s not an exaggeration. When Williams finally admitted the time had come, he told reporters he hadn’t said the word “rebuild” in 12 years.

Despite that declaration, the White Sox didn’t actually rebuild following 2011, at least not in the way the Houston Astros or Chicago Cubs have in recent years. Following the 2012 season, Williams would be replaced by Rick Hahn as the club’s GM, but remained in the organization as the executive vice president. Some thought the change would lead to the White Sox finally embracing the inevitable, but that wasn’t the case. By the 2014 offseason, Williams was already back to his old ways, saying he didn’t want to hear any more talk about “rebuilding.

That’s no longer the case. If the Sale trade is any indication, the White Sox are finally prepared to tear the whole thing down. You don’t trade your best player and then suddenly resort to half measures. This time, it looks like the White Sox are serious about starting over.

Of that group, you could make the case Eaton and Quintana should stay, as both are young and under team control for quite some time. But it’s also worth exploring what the club could get for them now. Both players are incredibly valuable at the moment, and may never have higher trade value than right now.

And though you could argue both could be a part of the next White Sox winner, consider the players the team acquired for Sale on Tuesday. Yoan Moncada is major-league ready and should contribute immediately, but Michael Kopech, Luis Basabe and Victor Diaz haven’t advanced past Class A yet.

Even if all those guys move quickly, the White Sox can’t count on them reaching the majors until 2018. And unless they all succeed immediately, it’s not likely they’ll peak until 2019 or 2020. Both Quintana and Eaton would technically be with the club at that time, but they would be pretty close to the end of their current contracts. The window for winning while keeping both players isn’t impossible, but it would be tight and the White Sox would need everything to go right.

If this is truly a new era for the White Sox, everyone must be made available. Trading Sale on Tuesday seems to indicate that’s the case. If he can go, so can the rest. While that might not be an easy reality for White Sox fans, it should also be somewhat refreshing.

The will they, won’t they situation involving Major League Baseball and Japanese superstar Shohei Otani may have reached its conclusion Tuesday. Despite some rumors to the contrary, the league does not seem inclined to offer an exception for Otani should he choose to come over to MLB next offseason, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

If true, that would be a major disappointment for fans who want to see what Otani can do in the majors. The 22-year-old starred as both a pitcher and a designated hitter for the Nippon Ham Fighters last season. Otani performed so well in both roles that he actually won Nippon Professional Baseball’s awards for best pitcher and best DH.

Under the new rule, if Otani chooses to come over before he turns 25, teams can only offer him a contract worth around $5 million. The actual figure can be higher, as clubs can trade for international spending money, but Otani wouldn’t make more than $10 million. That’s not exactly enticing for Otani, who many believe would make something near $200 million without the spending cap.

Because of that, it was widely believed Otani would wait until 2019 before coming to MLB. He would be 25 at that point, and not subject to spending limits. Under the new rule, that’s really the only scenario where Otani would get a big-time contract.

There was some hope the system would change in order to allow Otani to come over sooner. Our own Jeff Passan heard from some that MLB could possibly alter the new rule to make that a reality.

Could be via amendments to CBA from new posting agreement with Japan or other levers. Point is: Otani is a player worthy of tweaking rules.

Despite all that, Otani boldly proclaimed he would like to play in MLB in 2018. If he follows through, Otani would forfeit a huge contract in order to come over earlier than expected. It’s possible Otani doesn’t care about the money, and is simply eager to show off his skills in MLB. It’s also possible that he changes his mind at some point during the year, knowing he can make a lot more if he waits out MLB.

Rules are made to be broken, of course, and if Otani does come over while the international spending cap still applies, there are probably some teams willing to find ways to skirt around the rule.

Sources told Yahoo Sports this week that there are potential ways around the limit on spending for under-25 players like Shohei Otani.

We’re not saying that’s the ethical way to do things, but it wouldn’t be the first time a team used shady practices in order to sign a player.

Otani is considered an incredible talent, and the league is missing out the longer he remains in Japan. Teams are missing out on his talent as well, which is why some executives were willing to adjust the rule even though it would lead to them paying more money for his services. Otani can help a team win a World Series right now. Contending clubs with money want him to come over and help them immediately, not two or three years from now.

Otani coming over would be a good thing for the league. You would hope MLB officials realize that, but after Tuesday’s news it’s tough to be sure.

They’ve become about as reliable as a photo of Bigfoot, but they appear far more often. Yes, we’re talking about offseason photos of Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval. These photos are usually as blurry as a picture of Bigfoot, but they are scrutinized just as much.

The 2016 offseason is no different. As if on cue, a glorious image of slimmed-down Sandoval emerged Tuesday morning.

There he is. That’s Pablo Sandoval, and he appears to be in great shape. And, hey, that’s a great thing for the Red Sox, right? After conditioning troubles and injuries ruined last season, it’s great to see Sandoval getting in shape in time for 2017.

With Sandoval, though, we know it’s not that easy. This is now approximately the millionth offseason in which we’ve seen promising reports about his weight. It’s always the same story, too. In the offseason, he looks tremendous. If this sounds familiar, it should. We went through the exact same thing last year.

For a while, you start to see promising reports. Sandoval is in great shape and ready to dominate for the Red Sox. Sandoval is motivated and is going to return to All-Star form.

Given all that, we can’t blame Red Sox fans for approaching this one with some skepticism.

The timing of this picture is also … curious. It emerged shortly after the Red Sox traded third baseman Travis Shaw to the Milwaukee Brewers in a deal for Tyler Thornburg. With Shaw out of the picture, it looks like Sandoval has the inside track at winning the third base job.

Is this a case where the Red Sox saw the picture and felt more comfortable about making the deal, or did it conveniently leak so fans would talk themselves into Sandoval returning to the starting lineup? We won’t ever know the answer, but feel free to speculate wildly.

If Sandoval wants to figure out a way to keep his weight off throughout the entire offseason, he might want to contact new teammate Chris Sale. Sale, who was traded to Boston on Tuesday, weighs roughly 120 pounds soaking wet, and still manages to dominate on the field. At the very least, pictures of the two of them together during camp should be entertaining.

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly struck a deal with the White Sox that will send Sale to the Boston in exchange for infielder Yoan Moncada, pitcher Michael Kopech and two prospects. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was first to report the deal was done. Yahoo Sports’ own Jeff Passan confirmed it too:

Source confirms Chris Sale is going to the Red Sox and Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech are two of the players headed back to the White Sox.

The Red Sox paid a pretty penny to get Sale, which everyone knew was necessary to pry him away from the White Sox. The 21-year-old Moncada is considered one of the best prospects in the game. He ranked as the best prospect in baseball on Baseball America’s midseason update in July. Kopech, 20, was limited by injuries last year, but is known for his blazing fastball. He’s hit as high as 105 mph on the radar gun, but is known to have control issues. He ranked 93rd on Baseball America’s midseason update. The Red Sox also gave up minor-league pitcher Victor Diaz and infielder Luis Basabe, according to Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago.

What makes Sale worth all that? Two things: His dominance on the mound and his extremely team-friendly contract. Sale, 27, is a perennial Cy Young candidate who is routinely among baseball’s strikeout leaders. He’s a 6-foot-6 lefty whose three-quarters arm angle makes his pitches difficult to hitters to pick up. If you want to compare him to Randy Johnson, that wouldn’t be wrong — though Sale has actually been better than The Big Unit was at this point in his career.

And about that contract: Sale is under team control until 2020 at a fairly modest rate. The White Sox wisely signed him to a five-year contract extension in 2013 that comes with two team option years. So the Red Sox could keep Sale for $12 million this season, $12.5 million in 2018 and $13.5 million in 2019, all well below market rate.

That, right along with the strikeout totals is what made Sale the most desirable pitcher on the trade market since last summer when his name started to circulate. Inquiries came from all over baseball, but ultimately it was the Red Sox who were willing to give up four prospects to add Sale to the fold.

Now, the Red Sox have to be viewed as the favorite in the AL East, if not the American League as a whole. With a rotation that includes Sale, David Price and reigning AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, a group that was ace-less two seasons ago sure seems stacked now.

For the White Sox, the question is now this: Do you tear the whole thing down? Todd Frazier, Jose Quintana, Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu are among the White Sox with trade value. If Moncada is to be viewed as their future star and he’s only 21, the White Sox might see this as reason to extract the value from their roster now and rebuild for a stronger run in three or four years.

Watch for that to be a bigger storyline in the next few days of the Winter Meetings.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — It’s one of those days at the MLB Winter Meetings where you’re waiting for something big to happen. Day 1 provided us a few highlights, but they were mostly things we expected: The Giants signed Mark Melancon and the Dodgers re-signed Rich Hill, both of which were expected to happen.

On Day 2, bring us your trades! There was also one, as the Brewers and Red Sox worked out a four-player swap involving Travis Shaw and Tyler Thornburg. But we’re awaiting something bigger, something in the blockbuster category. So that bring us to:

FIVE HOT RUMORS OF THE DAY 1. The biggest thing floating around the baseball world is still whether the Nats and White Sox can pull off a Chris Sale trade. It was the talk of the industry on Monday night and would certainly qualify as a blockbuster. It’s the story to watch, as the two sides were said to have made progress on Monday night. But it’s not all the Nats. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Red Sox are still in the mix too.

3. The Rays are an interesting team to watch the next few days, as our Jeff Passan reports many people are interested in their crop of pitchers, starting with Chris Archer, of course, but also the likes of Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb.

Here's the calculus for Rays on Chris Archer: Would they get any more now than, say, two years from now? Probably not. Thus, tough to deal.

4. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that Jose Bautista may need to consider going to a bottom-10 team because the draft-pick compensation attached to his free agency might deter a lot of teams. If Bautista signs with a team in the bottom 10, they don’t lost a first-round draft pick for bringing him on.

5. The Andrew McCutchen trade market seems to have died down a bit from last week, but it sounds like the Pirates are still shopping him. The Nats have slid their attention to Sale, it sounds like, but the Pirates still recognize trading McCutchen now might be best in the long-term.

YOUR WINTER MEETINGS HANGOUT OF THE DAY The Winter Meetings is nothing if not a place where people gather in packs. The top pack hangout? The hotel lobby. And it’s no different here at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. This was the scene around midnight on Monday night. People were spilling out of the bar, resisting the urge to retreat to their room and maybe even waiting to hear a piece of news or a rumor or two.

The Winter Meetings lobby, always a good hangout. (Yahoo Sports)

THE ‘AWWW’ MOMENT OF THE WINTER MEETINGS Rich Hill was here on Monday to make official his new contract with the Dodgers. And the best moment came after his press conference when Hill’s son Brice ran up to him and gave him a big hug. Heart, melted.

Rich Hill and his son Brice after Monday’s press conference. (AP)

MLB GETS SWANKY The party throw Monday night to celebrate the new partnership between Under Armour and MLB was baseball at its swankiest. And if you didn’t know: Baseball isn’t often swanky. But UA brought the cool: Booming music, baseball stars and an open bar, all in a hotel nightclub.

The J.G. Taylor Spink award is given out every year by the Baseball Hall of Fame to a journalist for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing.” And in 2017, for the first time in its 55-year history, this top honor for baseball writers will be given out to a woman.

Claire Smith, the pioneering sports and baseball journalist, is the newest winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink award, which is voted on every year by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. When Smith was announced as the winner on Tuesday, she invited the other female members of the BBWAA up on stage.

Calling her a pioneer is more than appropriate, as Smith was the first African-American female newspaper journalist to cover baseball on a daily basis. She’s currently a coordinating editor for ESPN, with a focus on baseball. In the past, she was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, a national columnist for the New York Times, and a reporter for the Hartford Courant.

Smith, an African-American woman in an industry that is heavily populated by white men, has had to battle the establishment for equal access throughout her career. In 1984 she was physically thrown out of the San Diego Padres clubhouse when she was trying to cover the National League Championship Series. She described the incident in an eloquent piece about her life on the website for the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism.

As I was being thrown out, by what I considered to be physically abusive behavior, I said I was told that I had permission to be in here, and Padres General Manager Jack McKeon, he was a gentleman, shrugged and said, ‘It’s Dick Williams’ clubhouse.’ […] As I remember being pushed through the door, here comes manager Dick Williams into the news conference area. I went up to him and said, ‘I was told that I had permission to be here, and Jack McKeon said that this is your clubhouse, so…’ and he said, ‘That’s right,’ and just kept walking.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Baseball Writers Association of America made a change to its Hall of Fame voting process Tuesday that is long overdue: Starting with the 2018 vote, all ballots will be made public.

It’s a win for transparency in the voting process — something many BBWAA voters have championed in recent years. Many of the more active writers share their individual ballots on social media anyway, but this is a mandate that all ballots will be public.

The BBWAA passed a measure today mandating that all Hall of Fame ballots be public starting in 2018. It remains voluntary for this election

This isn’t out of character for the BBWAA, since it already makes public the ballots for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year. Hall of Fame voting is something of a different beast, though, because every qualified BBWAA member gets a ballot as opposed to awards where a panel of 30 active writers vote. To earn a Hall of Fame vote, a writer must be a BBWAA member for 10 years.

The concern about public ballots has risen in the social-media era, where the public is quicker to dissect everything and, as far as the Hall of Fame is concerned, hold individual voters accountable for their choices. For instance: Some people still want to know which three voters didn’t choose Ken Griffey Jr. last year.

Three writers didn’t vote for Ken Griffey Jr. In the future, we’d know who they are. (AP)

In recent years, the BBWAA has made efforts to weed from its Hall-of-Fame-voting ranks some of the writers who no longer cover baseball. That means the voting pool was smaller last year and promises to be again this year.

Moving forward, a more focused electorate and a more transparent voting process should be a good thing.

Of course, they’ll be doing it with a ceremony. Jeter’s No. 2 jersey will be retired on May 14, 2017, which is Mother’s Day. And that’s not all! He’ll also get a plaque in Monument Park, to be unveiled that day.

The Yankees, who love retiring numbers, last did it in 2015 when they retired the numbers of Jeter’s teammates Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. Jeter will be the 22nd player to have his number retired by the Yankees. And when the ceremony takes place, there will be no more single digit numbers available for the Yankees — all of them will have been retired, with Jeter’s being the last one.

Derek Jeter will be the last player to ever wear No. 2 for the Yankees. (Getty Images)

Jeter, AKA The Captain, played his entire 20-year career with the Yankees. He retired with a lifetime triple slash .310/.377/.440, which includes 3,465 hits, 260 home runs, and 1,311 RBI. Jeter hit a walk-off single in his final at-bat at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2014, and then played his last games at Fenway Park when the Yankees faced the Boston Red Sox to close out the 2014 season.

]]>Tue, 06 Dec 2016 08:13:08 PSTLiz RoschermlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,54d14a08-2037-36ab-b487-1560d7b91877-l:1Hot Stove Digest: The Nats are making progress on a Chris Sale tradehttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/hot-stove-digest-the-nats-are-making-progress-on-a-chris-sale-trade-062005772.html
Progress was made Monday night in Chris Sale trade talks between the Nats and the White Sox. (AP)

Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.

A NATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER? The Washington Nationals reportedly turned up the volume in their trade talks with the Chicago White Sox about ace Chris Sale. Rumors hit Monday night ranging from the Nats “advancing” talks to having a “legitimate shot” to get Sale. The Nats would have to give up a lot to get Sale, obviously, but what a rotation that would create along with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The latest Monday night said the two sides were making progress but a deal wasn’t close to being done. [FanRag Sports]

ALSO: The Nats have reportedly cooled off on an Andrew McCutchen trade, determining the asking price is too high for the Pirates star outfielder. [@JoelSherman1]

ROLL TRIBE: The Indians are reportedly exploring a deal with free-agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion, but that would require some out-of-character spending on their part. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

HOWEVER: Lots of people are still in on Encarnacion and his camp says there is “no favorite.” In other words: pony up, Cleveland. [@ChrisCotillo]

ROYAL RUMORS: The Royals, who are trying to figure out whether to sell, were mentioned in a number of trade rumors Monday, including deals including closer Wade Davis and All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain. As you can imagine, a number of teams are interested. [KC Star]

The Rockies are reportedly interested in Mark Trumbo. (AP)

GIVE ME ALL THE DINGERS: The Rockies are eyeing a “big-ticket” first baseman, a list that includes Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo. [MLB.com]

RAYS OF HOPE: The Rays pitchers are drawing a good amount of trade interesting. Chris Archer, of course, but also Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi. [@JonHeyman]

FOUR FOR FOWLER? The Blue Jays reportedly have a four-year offer out to free-agent outfielder Dexter Fowler. [Yahoo Sports Canada]

BRACH TO QUEENS? The Mets are interested in getting relief pitcher Brad Brach from the Orioles. The O’s meanwhile are into a few of the Mets’ excess outfielders, namely Curtis Granderson. [@Buster_ESPN]

ICYMI: In the day’s biggest deal: Rich Hill went back to the Dodgers on a three-year, $48 million contract. [Yahoo Sports]

ICYMI: The Giants got their closer in Mark Melancon, paying him a record-for-a-closer $62 million over four seasons. A record that will soon be broken by Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen. [Yahoo Sports]

]]>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 22:20:05 PSTMike OzmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,3f17ce59-2ced-3028-a8b6-2833b3be5716-l:1Video: If Bud Selig is a Hall of Famer, so are Barry Bonds and Roger Clemenshttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/video-if-bud-selig-is-a-hall-of-famer-so-are-barry-bonds-and-roger-clemens-043129889.html

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – We live in a world where Bud Selig will more than likely be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame before Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens. And if that sounds OK to you, you need to wake up and face the truth.

If Bud Selig deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame, then so does Bonds, MLB’s all-time home-run leader. And so does Clemens, the man who has more Cy Young awards than anyone in baseball history. And so do any other all-time greats from the PED era whose numbers you had trouble reconciling because of drugs.

Bud Selig’s induction — which was approved Sunday, when he earned all but one vote from the Today’s Game Era Hall of Fame committee — should be looked at as a game-changer for the people who play morality police every Hall of Fame season. It’s a subject I tackle in my latest Open Mike video, live from baseball’s Winter Meetings at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center.

Bud Selig being in the Hall of Fame should have big ramifications. (AP)

If you’re letting in Selig, whose legacy is a different kind of muddy but is still quite muddy, then you should let Bonds and Clemens in too. You can’t punish the players who thrived in an unruly era of baseball while also praising the man in power when it all happened, the man who didn’t do nearly enough to stop it.

And that’s considering about Selig and the steroid era. There was also the 1994 lockout, which shortened a could-be historic season and soured fans, and there are his compounded mistakes about the All-Star game, both the tie and the dumb home-field advantage rule.

None of that is to say Selig was a bad commissioner. In fact, he turned baseball into a revenue-generating machine. Under his watch, the game modernized as did the business model. And Barry Bonds hit 762 homers while also making some bad decisions and Roger Clemens had 4,672 strikeouts while doing some regrettable things. You see where this is going?

Selig deserves a place in the Hall of Fame because you can’t tell the story of the last three decades of baseball without him, warts be damned. And the exact same thing is true for Bonds and Clemens.

Not long after the Chicago Cubs World Series victory there were rumblings of a visit to the White House before outgoing president Barack Obama left office in January.

According to the Chicago Tribune, those talks are more than just rumblings now. With seven weeks remaining in Obama’s presidency, members of his office are working with Cubs officials to get the visit scheduled before his final day.

The big complication, of course, is that the Obama administration is smack dab in the middle of a transition to the Donald Trump led administration. By the same token, the Cubs are also in the midst of a transition as they attempt to put together a roster for 2017. Key contributors like Dexter Fowler, Aroldis Chapman and Jason Hammel are all likely to play elsewhere next season, which could make an offseason reunion a little awkward.

That much was acknowledged by Cubs spokesman Julian Green on Monday, who would no doubt play a key role in the arrangements.

“Obviously the challenging part is with an outgoing president, and now that we’re in the offseason, it makes it extremely challenging to coordinate with the players being on vacation. It’s been difficult to do.”

President Barack Obama holds up a personalized Kansas City Royals jersey during their visit to the White House in 2016. (AP)

The Tribune article notes two other factors that changed in the immediate aftermath of Chicago’s victory that could play a role in the team’s decision. The first being Donald Trump’s election on Nov. 8. The other being Trump’s decision to nominate Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts as his deputy commerce secretary. The idea being it might not sit well with the Trump administration that the Cubs bumped up a meeting that typically takes place the following summer.

For what it’s worth, Green denied any suggestion that who occupies the White House will have any impact on the meeting.

“Regardless of who is in the White House or who may be working for the administration, certainly this has been something that would be viewed as an honor,” Green said. “It’s just a difficult exercise in scheduling.

“President Obama made the invitation, and we’re honored to receive the invitation. Ordinarily, you would look at whenever the team is playing (in Washington) the following season, so you’d have more than enough time to coordinate.”

Needless to say this is an interesting dynamic that could play out awkwardly over the next few weeks.

One thing we do know though is that Obama’s very public affection for the White Sox will not be a factor. He’s the one who extended the invitation after all, and he’s been very open with his appreciation of the Cubs success. That included placing a congratulatory phone call to Joe Maddon on Nov. 3, the day after the team’s Game 7 win.

Obama, like most other baseball fans, probably wondered if he’d live to see the day the Cubs played in and won the World Series. One can’t blame him for wanting a small part in their story.

What’s the cost of winning? No, this isn’t some loaded philosophical question about the attributes one needs to reach the pinnacle of performance, or the sacrifices made to make it to the top. We’re talking in a literal sense. Can you put a dollar value on winning?

The biggest price jump is in the best seating section in the park, club box infield. Those seats will jump around 31 percent to $154.13. Club box outfield seats are spiking 29.8 percent to $115.87. Field box infield seats are up 20 percent ($112) and field box outfield seats are up 28.8 percent ($89.73). Those four, well-attended sections close to the field make up almost 11,000 seats.

The exact figure of the average increase is 19.5 percent. The average single game ticket will be about $66, which is in line with what fans of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox pay per game. As Greenberg notes, that figure could make the Cubs the most expensive ticket in baseball.

While it seems like a eye-popping number, it shouldn’t come as a major surprise. The Cubs have steadily increased season ticket prices over the past few seasons. The club raised prices by an average of 10.4 percent prior to last year, according to The Athletic.

It’s also in line with the last team to win a championship in Chicago. The Blackhawks increased season ticket prices 18.4 percent after winning the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Factor in inflation and add in the fact that this is the Cubs, and you can see how a 20 percent increase isn’t completely out of line, even if it seems excessive.

Because of that, the Cubs could have gone even higher with their season ticket demands and not seen a drop-off in renewals. The team always sells well, even during lean years. Now that the Cubs are excellent, and coming off their first World Series win in over 100 years, even more fans will be lining up to buy tickets for 2017.

Emily Youcis, who’s better known around Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as “Pistachio Girl,” has been fired from her vendor job after a flood of publicity connecting her with the political movement known as the “alt-right.”

Youcis, 26, was employed by the vending company Aramark, which supplies food vendors for Phillies home games. She spoke publicly about her termination over the weekend, telling “alt-right” network Red Ice TV she was let go because her white nationalist views did not reflect her now former employer’s values.

A statement from Aramark on Monday confirmed her dismissal.

“A core Aramark value is treating everyone with integrity and respect always. That includes respecting our associates’ right to privacy and dealing with personnel matters confidentially. We can only confirm that the individual asked about is no longer employed after publicly connecting our company to views that contradict our values.”

According to Philly.com, Youcis found herself in the middle of a violent protest outside a white-nationalism conference in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 19. Youcis had been attempting to interview protesters who accused the group of supporting anti-Semitism, white supremacy and fascism, which ultimately led to a confrontation. At one point, Youcis reportedly had her hair sprayed with paint, while her cameraman suffered a gash to his forehead.

Youcis was an observer of the conference, not an official attendee, but has been quoted as having increased interest in what she labeled a “white identity movement.” Her involvement in that event gained national attention. It likely also gained the attention of her employer, who moved to act only after she continued supporting the controversial movement on social media.

]]>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:14:19 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,4133a6bf-10cf-39a5-a1fd-34722809fc44-l:1Aroldis Chapman wants a ton of money and he just might get ithttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/aroldis-chapman-wants-a-ton-of-money-and-he-just-might-get-it-220504127.html
Is Aroldis Chapman worth $100 million? He seems to think so. (AP)

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — You don’t need to read too far between the lines to know what free-agent closer Aroldis Chapman thinks he deserves on the open market. Chapman, the No. 3 overall free agent on Jeff Passan’s rankings, isn’t coming out and saying he wants $100M but, well, see for yourself.

“The only thing I have expressed is that I would like a six-year contract. I know that doesn’t mean that I will get it, but that’s what I would like to sign. There are rumors out there that I requested $100 million and that’s not true at all. I believe he who deserves something, does not need to demand it.”

How’s that for a quote! So he’s not saying he demanded $100 million, but everyone should just know he’s worth $100 million? Don’t ever say throwing 105 mph fastballs isn’t great for a guy’s self-confidence. Chapman also told ESPN that he hasn’t reviewed any offers from teams yet.

Here’s the thing, though: It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Chapman will get it. Committing six years to a closer seems like a lot — but if you’re going to, might as well be to the guy who threw 49 of the top 50 fastest pitches in MLB last season.

If the velocity alone isn’t enough, consider what else happened Monday at baseball’s Winter Meetings: Mark Melancon, the third-best closer on the market, agreed to a four-year deal with the San Francisco Giants worth $62 million. That’s a record contract for a closer, but it won’t be for long. Not when Chapman and the No. 2 free-agent closer Kenley Jansen agree to terms.

The annual average value of Melancon’s contract is $15.5 million. Spread that over the six years that Chapman, 28, prefers and that’s pretty close to $100 million. It’s only $7 million short.

A $100 million deal for Chapman would double Jonathan Papelbon’s $50 million contract, which was the record for closers before Melancon’s deal with the Giants. Is Chapman worth double the record amount?

There’s another way of asking that question: How much does baseball value a 105 mph fastball?

Start putting away extra money in your piggy banks now, MLB teams, because Bryce Harper is going to be a free-agent after 2018 … probably. Harper is reportedly seeking a record-breaking 10-year, $400 million deal, and that might be outside what the Washington Nationals are willing to pay for his services, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Nightengale’s report mentions a “high-ranking Nationals executive” who believes Harper is looking for a deal in that range. Because of that, the club is preparing for Harper to leave once he’s eligible for free agency.

Some of those concerns may be premature, however. While the Nationals may be preparing for life without Harper, his agent, Scott Boras, confirmed to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan that the two sides haven’t even discussed a long-term deal.

Scott Boras to Yahoo Sports: “I have had no discussions with the Nationals regarding Harp and a long-term contract.”

On one side, you have a team executive suggesting the club won’t pay Harper that much. On the other side, you have an agent saying those conversations haven’t even happened yet. Most anyone can see thinking about whether Harper walks in free agency is premature. If for no other reason than both sides have to live harmoniously with each other the next two years.

Considering all that, here’s what we’re left with: Bryce Harper is probably looking for a record-breaking contract in excess of $400 million when he hits free agency. That’s a significant amount of money, and it could lead to Harper leaving the Nationals when the time comes.

And while it’s easy for many to look at that $400 million price tag and completely lose their minds, it’s not entirely out of line either. As things currently stand, Harper will be 26 when he hits free agency. Very few players hit the market at such a young age, and the only ones who do get there are the ones deemed talented enough to reach, and then stay in, the majors at 18 or 19. This is Alex Rodriguez territory.

Rodriguez, as you’ll remember, hit the market as a 25-year-old and received a 10-year, $252 million deal in 2000. Harper will be a year older, and doesn’t play shortstop, but it’s not hard to look at that figure, factor in inflation, and come up with something close to $400 million. It also helps that Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed a 13-year, $325 million extension in 2014. Stanton is a tremendous offensive player, though he’s never had a season as impressive as Harper’s 2015. On top of that, Stanton’s deal was an extension. Extensions are typically cheaper than free-agent deals because a player is limited to talking with just one team. When all 30 clubs have a shot at signing a guy, prices tend to skyrocket.

You can point to Harper’s poor 2016 as evidence that he’s not worth that type of deal, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Harper hit just 243/.373/.441, with 24 home runs, over 627 plate appearances last year, but there was evidence he was limited by an injury most of the season. Since there’s no reason to believe he simply can’t hit after putting up a Bondsian .330/.460/.649 line at age-22 in 2015, we should expect Harper to improve quite a bit over the next two years. If he can do that, $400 million is definitely in reach.

Bryce Harper is going to make a ton of money if he hits the free-agent market. (Getty Images/Rob Carr)

That price tag also explains why the Nationals might be worried about losing Harper in free agency. Sure, Harper might be a once-in-a-lifetime talent, but that’s a lot of money. Any team would be concerned about committing that much to one player going forward. But we’re also talking about something that’s two years away. A lot can change in that time, and perhaps the Nationals will feel better about a deal, or deal something done before Harper reaches free agency.

Until then, though, it’s perfectly reasonable for the Nationals to start preparing for life without Harper now. It’s incredibly logical, actually. With every day that passes, he inches closer to free agency, making it more likely he’ll leave. Of course, the Nationals aren’t going to adjust their team assuming Harper signs long-term. That hasn’t happened yet. They need to prepare for the worst. Every other team in baseball would do the same facing this type of uncertainty.

That’s why the club’s approach this winter makes sense. While the Nationals haven’t gone out and made huge moves just yet, they’ve been mentioned as a major player for Andrew McCutchen, Chris Sale and some of the available relievers on the market. The front office realizes that they may only have two years left with Harper, and wants to put together the best possible club to win while he’s still there. If they can sign Harper long-term and extend that window, great. If not, at least they went all-in when they had him.

Aside from the weird timing of this story, there’s nothing all that controversial here. A great player wants a lot of money, and his team isn’t sure they can afford him. When put that way, this seems normal. They’ll have two years to figure that out.

But when you’re dealing with Bryce Harper and record-breaking contracts, it’s tough to expect people to be reasonable.

In a reunion that makes a ton of sense for both sides, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Monday that they’ve reached a three-year, $48 million agreement with veteran left-hander Rich Hill. The deal had been talked about for a few days and now that it’s official, it’s the very rich bow on top of a stunning comeback for Hill, who was in independent ball in 2015 and worked his way back to MLB success as a 36-year-old curveball specialist.

Hill proved to be an excellent addition to the Dodgers rotation last season after being acquired from the Oakland A’s at the trade deadline. That is, when Hill was actually healthy. Blister issues limited his starts during the regular season and on one occasion cost him a chance to complete a perfect game.

Overall, Hill posted a 1.83 ERA over six regular starts for Los Angeles, and a 2.12 ERA when expanded to include his 14 starts with Oakland. He concluded his season by pitching six scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.

Rich Hill is returning to the Dodgers on a $48-million deal. (AP)

Obviously, those are superb results. But are they enough to justify giving an injury prone pitcher who’ has made only 24 total starts dating back to 2010 that big a contract? That’s the question, and we believe the answer lies in the luxurious depth the Dodgers have built up.

Assuming they don’t suffer through another historic rash of injuries, there’s probably no team better suited to roll the dice on Hill because of the flexibility their depth offers. Obviously, Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda and Scott Kazmir sit atop the Dodgers rotation. It is hoped that Hill will remain firmly in that mix as well. Beyond them though Dave Roberts has Brandon McCarthy, Julio Urias, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling and perhaps even a healthy Hyun-jin Ryu to call upon.

That’s quite a luxury, and it doesn’t take into account that Los Angeles could still trade for another starter between now and April.

If Hill proves healthy and effective, that’s perfect. If a blister or another minor ailment pops up, they’ll be able to mix and match to plug the leak. If he loses it completely, well, that’s obviously a much different story. Bottomline, though, the risk tied to the money isn’t nearly as important to L.A. as the potential rewards if everything comes together.

The 2016 Major League Baseball offseason may feature a weaker class than normal, but the 2017 offseason is already shaping up to be exciting. Japanese superstar Shohei Otani has expressed interest in coming over to MLB, and would like to do so before the start of the 2018 season, according to Kyodo News.

That should immediately excite anyone who has heard of Otani before now. The 22-year-old has completely dominated Nippon Professional Baseball over the past three seasons. After standing out as a pitcher in his first two years, Otani played more of a two-way role in 2016.

Turns out, he can hit. Otani posted a .322/.416/.588 slash line, with 22 home runs, over 382 plate appearances. In his first season taking on a larger hitting role, he also won the NPB’s home run derby. That performance earned him the award for best DH in the NPB at the end of the year.

He was no slouch on the mound, either. Otani had a 1.86 ERA over 140 innings. He struck out 174 batters, earning the award for best pitcher in the NPB at the end of the year.

Yes, he won the awards for best pitcher and best DH in NPB last season. He’s just 22. He’s one of the most exciting young players in professional baseball.

The rule limits clubs from spending more than $5 million on international free agents per season. Teams can trade for more cash, but even in that scenario, Otani would only be able to make around $10 million if he is posted by the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2017. If Otani were not subject to those rules, some believe he would make $200 million on the market.

Under the new CBA, Otani would not be subject to that rule once he turns 25. That won’t happen until 2019, though, meaning Otani would have to wait until then in order to receive a massive contract.

With that said, there’s some evidence MLB may tweak the rule for a player as talented as Otani. Our own Jeff Passan says executives have already discussed ways to skirt around the rule for Otani.

Sources told Yahoo Sports this week that there are potential ways around the limit on spending for under-25 players like Shohei Otani.

After owners fought to limit international spending, it might seem counterproductive for them to alter the rule to allow Otani to get paid. But for a player as talented as Otani, it makes sense. Owners, particularly those who run teams with a lot of money, want Otani to come over sooner rather than later. He can help their clubs win a championship now. Making him wait until 2019 to come over doesn’t help anyone. The cost will be high, but the talent is undeniable.

Many details still need to be sorted out, but it appears things are moving in a positive direction. Otani wants to come over, and MLB seems willing to work out a compromise to allow him to get paid. Considering his talent, and his potential two-way ability, that seems like the best case scenario for everyone involved, especially the fans who want to see what Otani can do on baseball’s biggest stage.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Here we go again. It’s the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, a marathon three-and-a-half days of rumor-starting and deal-making that this year has set up right outside of Washington D.C.

Each day we’ll start you off with this primer of storylines, plus some sights and sounds. Enjoy.

FIVE HOT RUMORS OF THE DAY 1. Our own Jeff Passan has a juicy one: The Indians have checked in on Edwin Encarnacion, the type of big bat that would make their lineup a lot more dangerous. A big question, though: Would they pay the $100-million-plus asking price?

Sources: Cleveland has checked in on Edwin Encarnacion. Perfect fit as RH power in LH-heavy lineup. Question is: Would they spend the money?

2. A storyline that’s sweeping the meetings today is what the Royals will do. They’re in a position where selling might be smart (they can’t afford to pay all the looming free agents). Now the are-they-selling narrative has reached a point where Lorenzo Cain trade rumors seem to be a thing.

3. The Braves apparently tried to get Sonny Gray from the A’s, which makes sense considering they’ve also been connected to Chris Sale and Chris Archer. But according to Joel Sherman, the price was still too rich. Key takeaway, though: The Braves are after that pitching.

#Braves made a run at Sonny Gray. #Athletics never asked for Swanson, but Atl still found price too high.

4. The Rangers — who it seems like are in on every deal that gets floated around these days — are checking into Cincinnati Reds speedster Billy Hamilton, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

5. The closer market is a big one to watch, with Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon all considered top-flight options. The Giants, Nats and Cubs are among the teams looking for a closer, but you can add another team to the list and word is they’re willing to spend some money. That’s the Miami Marlins, who Ken Rosenthal says have some rival teams thinking they’d pay Jansen $80 over five years. Wowzer. Meanwhile, the Giants and Nats are reportedly chasing Melancon the most. And there’s this from Passan:

With closer FA market about to roar, one name is buzzing among executives: Wade Davis. He is available and may be likeliest Royal to move.

WELCOME TO THE BIODOME This year’s Winter Meetings, like last year’s in Nashville, are held in a huge Gaylord Convention Center that is more biodome than hotel. There are hotel rooms, obviously, but there are also amenities spilling all over the place, mostly aimed at entertaining guests not necessarily of the baseball rumor-mongering variety

At the Winter Meetings, a sort of self-contained ecosystem of its own, the biodome just means you feel like you’re even more in your own world. One thing Nashville had over National Harbor, though: Its Biodome had a river.

PARTY ON The Winter Meetings aren’t exactly a place where you baseball stars come to hang out, but that’s changing a bit on Monday night. MLB made official its new 10-year uniform deal with Under Armour on Monday morning and with that comes an unconventional Winter Meetings event: a celebration featuring some All-Stars and Olympians.

Under Armour is bringing some of its roster of stars for the party. Among them: Clayton Kershaw, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Phillips, Rick Porcello, Brian Dozier, Freddie Freeman and Ryan Zimmerman. Cal Ripken will be there too as will Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn and Nastia Liukin.

When Jeremy Hellickson qualifies as a top-10 free agent, you know the market is rough. But when Hellickson opts for a one-year qualifying offer instead of seeing how he plays on the open market, you know anything can happen.

While the free agents getting attention this week might not blow you away (unless you’re really excited about the latest Mark Melancon rumors), this year’s Winter Meetings could be a swarming with trades. For all the ho-hum that exists in free agency, the trade market could be the exact opposite. There are two ex-MVPs out there (Andrew McCutchen and Ryan Braun), a couple guys with Cy Young-level stuff (Chris Sale and Chris Archer) and maybe even one of the best relief pitchers around (Wade Davis).

So, to help you get ready for the Winter Meetings, we’ve pinpointed 10 of the most fascinating names to watch this week, either because they’re players who are sure to generate chatter or they might be on a new team when this week wraps.

1. Andrew McCutchen: The biggest rumor of the past week involves the Pittsburgh Pirates dealing face-of-the-franchise outfielder McCutchen. The return would have to be steep, but less steep considering he’s coming off a rough year. The most talked-about suitors are the Washington Nationals, who could make a big splash at the Winter Meetings in their own backyard by reeling in Cutch.

2. Edwin Encarnacion: The ex-Toronto Blue Jays slugger is the best free agent left, according to Jeff Passan’s rankings. The Houston Astros looked like a good landing spot … until they signed Carlos Beltran. Still, Encarnacion should get big money to walk the parrot in someone’s uniform. His agent said Sunday there’s a chance a deal gets done during the meetings. The Red Sox and Yankees have been mentioned as potential destinations. Don’t rule out a return to Toronto either.

Will we finally see a Chris Sale trade? (AP)

3. Chris Sale: The 2016 baseball offseason might as well be subtitled “or, the year that everyone was waiting for Chris Sale to get traded.” Sale trade rumors have been flying every day of the offseason, and don’t expect that to change. He’s the most transformative pitcher on the market. But it doesn’t seem like there’s a deal that’s close. The White Sox are looking for a big return (and Sale is worth it) so there’s no guarantee he gets dealt unless the Sox get their price.

4. Chris Archer: If you’re an MLB GM desperate for a top-flight starter and you can’t get Chris Sale, then Chris Archer is the next best option. Archer, who isn’t a free agent until 2020, is a strikeout machine who is better than his 4.02 ERA from a season ago. He won’t be as pricey as Sale, but he won’t come cheap either.

5. Mark Melancon: Of the three big closers on the market, it sounds like Melancon might come off the board first. Reports over the weekend indicate that he has offers in hand. The Giants are thought to be among the most likely destinations, but many teams need a closer, including the Dodgers, Marlins, Nats and Cubs.

6. Wade Davis: As you can see above, there are more teams looking for a closer than there are top-flight free-agent closers. So the Royals hold a desirable trade chip in Davis, who when healthy is one of the best relievers in baseball. The Royals have decisions to make about how they’re going to manage all their young stars approaching their walk year. If they decide to trade Davis — it wouldn’t be a bad idea considering the market — other teams will certainly be interested.

Ryan Braun would be an expensive addition, but he would help many teams. (AP)

7. Ryan Braun: For big spenders looking to add a top outfield bat, Braun is a name to watch. He’s been mentioned in trade rumors going back to last season and now that his value is maximized again, Braun could get a big return. He hit .305 last season with 30 homers and a .903 OPS. Only 16 players in MLB had an OPS over .900. His contract is what makes a trade more complicated. Braun is owed $76 million over the next four years, including $20 million each of the next two seasons.

8. J.D. Martinez: If Braun is too rich, then maybe J.D. Martinez is the right price. Like Braun, the Detroit Tigers outfielder had an OPS above .900 last season. Unlike Braun, he’s a free agent after 2017 and is only just $11.7 million next season. The Giants are said to be interested in Martinez, which would be a good fit.

9. Rich Hill: The Dodgers are reportedly close to a deal with Rich Hill, and have been for a few days now. So it’ll be interesting to see both whether the Dodgers wrap that one up and how much they pay Hill, considering he’s a 36-year-old coming off a good season that would have been great if not for injuries. Like Hill, look for some resolution between the Dodgers and third baseman Justin Turner, another top free agent who is reportedly close to returning to L.A.

10. Brian Dozier: Did you know Dozier — he of 42 homers and 99 RBIs — was the 10th most valuable players in the American League last season, according to Fangraphs’ WAR? He’s on a very team-friendly contract ($6 million next season and $9 million in 2018) so he’s a great piece of trade bait. The Twins aren’t going to just give Dozier away, they’ve looking for a big return. But it’s been reported that the Dodgers have been aggressive in their pursuit and other teams are interested too.

]]>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 06:25:19 PSTMike OzmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,23f48bd1-f4a5-3b84-a362-4cc8ebfcd74b-l:1MLB’s new uniform deal with Under Armour brings new star power to baseballhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/mlbs-new-uniform-deal-with-under-armour-brings-new-star-power-to-baseball-141424617.html
Under Armour will take over as MLB’s exclusive jersey-maker in 2020. (Getty Images)

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Major League Baseball made official on Monday a new uniform deal that had been reported for two months: It’s linking up with Under Armour in a deal that, in 2020, will see Under Armour become the exclusive jersey-maker of baseball.

Gone will be Majestic, which had been MLB’s exclusive jersey producer since 2005 (and which last year re-upped through 2019). Gone will be Nike, which is currently a base-layer (i.e. undershirts) provider for MLB. Under Armour will now supply “all on-field uniform components.” New Era, which makes MLB’s caps, will remain in that role.

Playing an important part in this deal is Fanatics, the apparel company that already fuels MLB’s online store and makes officially licensed products. The new agreement gives Fanatics broader rights to make and market apparel to MLB fans. That includes everything from customizable jerseys to shirseys to postseason gear.

For Under Armour, whose popularity has skyrocketed in the past decade, this also marks a first — a pro sports uniform deal. Under Amour has made inroads in baseball in recent years by making gear such as batting gloves and chest protectors for catchers.

For baseball this could mean something else altogether. Its hip quotient could be on the rise. Under Armour is cool, you need only look around a high school in America to see that. Baseball, well, it’s always looking for help in that category. Linking up with a brand that teenagers like sure isn’t going to hurt.

It also could mean a different type of star power. To celebrate the new 10-year partnership with MLB, Under Armour has planned a swanky media event for Monday night and flew in many of its top endorsers in MLB. Clayton Kershaw, Francisco Lindor, Rick Porcello and Brandon Phillips will be in attendance, as will MLB legend Cal Ripken and Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, who is an Under Armour-sponsored athlete.

This is a fairly splashy — and not typical — move by baseball’s standards. The Winter Meetings, which are happening this week in the Washington D.C. metro area, aren’t generally the place where baseball stars show up unless the rare case where they’re a free agent closing a deal in person. But Under Armour, which is based in Maryland, is trying to announce its presence in style.

Under Armour’s endorsement strategy the last few years has been to grab onto a sport’s biggest rising star. In the NBA, that’s Steph Curry. In the NFL, it’s Cam Newton (though Under Armour’s roster also includes Tom Brady and Julio Jones, among others). In MLB, Under Armour signed Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper to a 10-year deal earlier this year, which is reportedly the richest of all time in baseball.

Majestic, by most accounts, was well-liked by players and fans. But it doesn’t have the clout of Under Armour and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred seemed to acknowledge as much in the announcement of the new deal.

“Under Armour’s marketing ability and brand status are a perfect fit to showcase our players and provide an even stronger connection between our game and its young fans and players,” Manfred said. “We appreciate Majestic’s many contributions to our clubs, players and fans throughout our partnership.”

You need only look at social media to see the difference between Majestic and Under Armour. Majestic has 150,000 fans on Facebook. Under Armour has 5.4 million.

This is another example of MLB trying to make its apparel more modern and hip. Earlier this year, it announced a partnership with Stance, a sock-maker best known for its work with the NBA and its pop culture offerings. Stance will take over as MLB’s official sock in 2017.

]]>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 06:14:24 PSTMike OzmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,7f300a8f-49fd-3fc6-9fb3-810921b791af-l:1Yankees agree to deal with Matt Holliday for $13 millionhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/yankees-agree-to-deal-with-matt-holliday-for-13-million-000254123.html
Cardinals’ outfielder Matt Holliday obliges the fans with a curtain call after hitting a pinch-hit home run during a 7-0 with against the Pirates. (AP)

Before general manager Brian Cashman could make his grand entrance at the Winter Meetings, the New York Yankees have landed a key free agent.

Holliday, 36, is coming off a decent 2016 season with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 382 at-bats, he hit .246 with 20 HRs and 60 RBIs. Those numbers are a far cry from the huge numbers he put up during his seven All-Star campaigns, most of which were spent in Colorado and St. Louis. But they show there’s still enough fuel left in the tank to contribute on a contending team.

Holliday shouldn’t be considered for the outfield again. His defense was never top notch to begin with, but declined steadily over the years in part due to injuries. First base should lead to much less wear and tear and ideally his first healthy season since 2014.

With that in mind, a Holliday-Yankees marriage is an ideal fit. The Yankees are looking to replace production lost from the retirement of Mark Teixeira. They’ve been connected to bigger sluggers like Edwin Encarnacion, but signing Holliday should give them more flexibility in the long term. Encarnacion will likely command a four or five-year deal worth big money.

]]>Sun, 04 Dec 2016 16:02:54 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,8b4b7d73-c9d0-3245-b103-04c57454c655-l:1Bud Selig and John Schuerholz elected to Baseball Hall of Famehttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/bud-selig-and-john-schuerholz-elected-to-baseball-hall-of-fame-232250837.html
Former commissioner Bud Selig will be elected to the Hall of Fame on his 83rd birthday. (AP)

The Winter Meetings kicked off with big news on Sunday as the newly formed Today’s Game Era Committee elected former commissioner Bud Selig and long-time executive John Schuerholz to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The new 16-person committee was formed last year after the Hall of Fame overhauled its Veteran’s Committee set up. Their task was to meet, discuss and then vote on 10 Hall of Fame candidates during baseball’s most recent era, which they’ve defined as 1980 until the present.

Candidates needed 75 percent of the votes for election. It’s reported Shuerholz was a unanimous selection, while Selig received 15 of 16 votes from committee members. Legendary player and manager Lou Piniella was the next closest among the candidates, finishing with seven votes.

Coming into Sunday, Selig had been considered the most likely candidate to get elected. He’ll be far from the most popular Hall of Famer from a fan’s perspective, but his job all along was to serve the owners and grow the game. Selig was at the helm for the 1994 strike, and was roundly criticized for turning a blind eye when steroids entered the game, but he steered the ship out of the storm and into prosperity.

Under Selig, baseball added interleague play, instant replay, and the World Baseball Classic, all of which were considered steps forward. There were misses too, such as allowing the All-Star game to determine home field in the World Series. But the bottomline is baseball’s revenue increased from $1.9 billion in 1993 to $95 billion in Selig’s final season.

Selig will be the fourth commissioner inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the honor will come on his 83rd birthday.

John Schuerholz, the architect of the Braves’ dynasty. (AP)

As the first general manager to win a World Series in both the AL and NL, John Schuerholz entered the debate with an accolade no executive could lay claim to. That undoubtedly helped his case, as the committee ultimately rewarded him with a selection. Of course, Schuerholz is mostly known for his tenure with the Braves, which produced 14 division championships between 1991 and 2005. The Braves only managed one World Series win during that time, but their sustained success was a landmark in baseball history.

]]>Sun, 04 Dec 2016 15:22:50 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,88199e77-a25b-3a1d-a12c-f4e35dcf9a9d-l:1http://sports.yahoo.com/news/brian-cashmans-winter-meetings-warm-up-is-the-ultimate-adrenaline-rush-200941775.html
Brian Cashman is set to rappel down a 22-story building on the eve of the Winter Meetings. (Newsday)

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is continuing a tradition unlike any other in baseball.

As he’s done each of the last six years, Cashman will spend the night before baseball’s Winter Meetings rappelling down the side of the 22-story Landmark Building in Stamford, Conn.

It’s part of the city’s “Heights & Lights” holiday program, which is also designated to raise awareness for local businesses. Cashman’s stunt has become a staple of the event, and it sounds like that will continue for many years to come.

“This is fun – I mean, how many times do you get the chance to jump off a 22-story building? I guess once a year for me, but it’s becoming a habit,” Cashman told the media before making a practice run on Friday morning. “I like doing it. The rappel team are just great people, and when you have good people to have fun with and can be part of a great family event in your area, it’s neat. I’m thankful they invite me back every year, and hopefully everyone has a good time and I stay healthy!”

Once his feet are back on the ground Sunday night, Cashman will begin his travels to Maryland for what’s expected to be an eventful winter meetings. It’s unknown how aggressive Cashman will be during the event itself, but it’s safe to assume his adrenaline will still be pumping.

]]>Sun, 04 Dec 2016 12:09:41 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,0f792cf5-a122-3a56-9a41-af1a28ff5f2e-l:1Padres enter Winter Meetings with no million-dollar player on rosterhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/padres-enter-winter-meetings-with-no-million-dollar-player-on-roster-170202667.html
In a span of two years, A.J. Preller’s Padres have gone from baseball’s most aggressive team to not employing a million-dollar player. (Getty Images)

Remember two years ago when the San Diego Padres were the most aggressive team in baseball under new general manager A.J. Preller? That might as well be two decades ago, because the Padres current philosophy, payroll and roster structure resemble that in no shape or form.

In fact, over the past 18 months, the Padres have gone aggressive in the other direction, having unloaded every large contract that existed before and after Preller’s arrival. Granted, they haven’t completely eliminated all of the money that’s owed to these players, but they entered stunning territory this weekend after trading Derek Norris to Washington and then non-tendering former ace Tyson Ross and veteran infielder Alexi Amarista.

Keen observers will note that Wil Myers is arbitration-eligible this winter and will no doubt command a salary well over $1M. That’s true, but he doesn’t have that money yet, and there’s still no guarantee the Padres will hold on to him either. For now, reliever Carter Capps is their highest paid player remaining after earning $987,500 last season. Capps missed the entire 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Highest paid player Carter Capps was acquired in last season’s controversial Colin Rea trade. He has a 3.99 career ERA over four seasons. (AP)

The Padres are clearly in the midst of a complete rebuild, which became necessary when Preller’s aggressive plan backfired. Over the past two seasons the Padres have remained in the bottom portion of the NL West, and they’ve watched the distance between them and both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants grow. Heck, even the Rockies put distance between them as Colorado is seemingly poised to contend for a playoff spot next season.

Meanwhile, Preller and company are back at square one after learning the hard way that you can’t become a contender overnight. In attempting to do so, they locked themselves into several bad contracts, while emptying a decent farm system.

Focusing on those contracts, it’s fascinating to note that San Diego could end up paying more to players on other teams than their own. They owe a shade under $33M this season to five players suiting up elsewhere. Those players include Melvin Upton Jr. ($11.4M owed), James Shields ($11M), Hector Olivera ($6M), Matt Kemp ($2.5M) and Jedd Gyorko ($2M).

(Reddit)

These are pretty close to nightmare numbers for a baseball executive. Especially for a team that doesn’t traditionally spend a lot of money. But it’s the reality of where the Padres are now, and it might represent the distance they must travel to become relevant again.

]]>Sun, 04 Dec 2016 09:02:02 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,f5aeb002-77ce-36c9-b6fe-0887a8b67b81-l:1Do Bud Selig and George Steinbrenner belong in the Hall of Fame?http://sports.yahoo.com/news/do-bud-selig-and-george-steinbrenner-belong-in-the-hall-of-fame-164304315.html
Bud Selig and George Steinbrenner are among the 10 names on the Today’s Game Hall of Fame ballot. (AP)

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Most years, the Veterans Committee voting for the Hall of Fame is an exercise that involves digging deep into the past. Not so this year, as the committee will vote Sunday on the Hall of Fame cases of some rather familiar names, including Bud Selig, Mark McGwire, Albert Belle and George Steinbrenner.

This is the first year of the Hall of Fame’s Today’s Game ballot, which aims to consider more modern candidates. It’s one of the four rotating committees that was born when the Veterans Committee system we knew was overhauled last year. The other era ballots that will follow in coming years: Modern Baseball (1970-87), Golden Days (1950-69) and Early Baseball (1871-1949).

This year’s vote will happen Sunday as people begin to arrive here for baseball’s Winter Meetings, which officially begin Sunday night and get busier Monday. The results of the vote — by a 16-person panel of Hall of Famers, former executives and veteran baseball writers — will be announced on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET. A press conference will follow Monday featuring any living members who were elected. Candidates need 75 percent of the votes for election.

The easiest way to dissect this ballot is by starting with the six players and being blunt: None of them deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. They were all very good players — all Hall of Very Good guys — but not a one of them has a career value that exceeds the average Hall of Famer at their position.

Using the JAWS method, developed by Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated, which gives a position-by-position value for Hall of Famers, McGwire is the closest. His JAWS score is 51.9 and the average first baseman in the Hall of Fame is at 54.2. Belle, for instance, has a 37.9 JAWS ranking compared to 53.3 at his position. As such, he fell off the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot after his second year in 2007 when he got just 3.5 percent of the vote.

Neither manager on the ballot has a particularly strong case either. Johnson and Pinella both had long and successful careers, but only one World Series a piece. Pinella has the better likelihood to get in, as his 1.835 wins rank 14th in history and 12 of the 13 skippers ahead of him are in, but he’s not exactly a sure thing.

That leaves the executive branch of this Hall of the Fame ballot as the most fascinating: Selig and Steinbrenner, of course, are names that everyone knows (and probably has an opinion about). And Schuerholz isn’t exactly a household name, but you could make a good Cooperstown argument on his behalf. So let’s dig into all three a bit:

John Schuerholz, the architect of the Braves’ dynasty. (AP)

John Schuerholz Even if the Hall of Fame doesn’t take him, Schuerholz has this claim to fame that no other executive can match: He was the first GM to win a World Series in both the AL and NL, with the 1985 Kansas City Royals and the 1995 Atlanta Braves.

Schuerholz was the Royals GM from 1982-1990, but really made his mark in Atlanta, where he was GM from 1990-2007 and the chief architect of their dynasty. The team won its division ever year but once between 1991 and 2005. The team didn’t win as many as World Series as it probably should have, just that one in 1995, but that doesn’t tarnish Schuerholz’s legacy.

There aren’t dozens and dozens of GMs in the Hall of Fame, so the basis for how Schuerholz compares is tougher to gauge than players. But many experts think Schuerholz has a good chance to get 75 percent of the vote.

Bud Selig helped grow revenues in baseball, but his legacy has a couple black eyes. (AP)

Bud Selig The chatter around Selig’s Hall of Fame candidacy this week makes it sound like he’s a sure-thing electee. The ex-commissioner — who held the position from 1992 to 2015, first in an acting role and then officially — is still fresh in our minds since his reign ended not too long ago. Evaluating a commissioner, like evaluating an executive, is tougher than a player and Selig might have an even cloudier case.

Selig had the second longest run of any MLB commissioner and was effective if not necessarily loved. He helped propel baseball to a new level of financially prosperous (it generated $9.5 billion in his final season, the 13th straight year revenues increased, up from $1.9 billion in 1993) but he’s also been routinely criticized for looking the other way when steroids took over baseball. The other big black eye on his time as commissioner is the 1994 strike.

But Selig’s legacy includes many sweeping changes: four new franchises, the addition of interleague play, the adoption of instant replay, more than a dozen new stadiums and the creation of the World Baseball Classic. His fingerprints are all over the game we know today.

George Steinbrenner’s Yankees won seven World Series. (AP)

George Steinbrenner If fame were the only requirement for getting in the Hall of Fame, Steinbrenner would have been in long ago. What Steinbrenner did in baseball is what Vince McMahon did in pro wrestling — ownership with a side of showmanship. Steinbrenner’s teams won, which was always his main goal, but his legacy in baseball isn’t so easily to reconcile.

Steinbrenner owned the Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. In that time, his Yankees teams won seven World Series and 11 pennants. To get those type of results, The Boss was famously willing to spend crazy amounts of money or fire anybody who he thought stood in the way.

That’s one side of the Steinbrenner story. On the other side: he was suspended from MLB twice, including once that he was banned for life (it was overturned three years later). He was more outspoken than refined, more bluster than luster. But that was Steinbrenner’s way.

And it makes him probably the most intriguing name on this ballot. Most certainly he’s a part of baseball history, but he’s another of the cases we’ve wrestled with the past decade with people like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Even with all the baggage, is he a Hall of Famer?

Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.

COMING BACK: Though a deal is not yet complete, multiple reports on Saturday suggested that the Los Angeles Dodgers were on the verge of re-signing left-hander Rich Hill.

MLB Network’s Peter Gammons was the first to report that at least one rival executive believed that Hill and the Dodgers were in agreement on a three-year deal worth over $40 million. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman added that while no deal is confirmed, the known competition for Hill had reportedly moved on, leaving the door open for a deal to be completed soon. These reports were seemingly cemented by Bill Plunkett, who noted that a multi-year deal was close.

Rich Hill seems pumped up at the thought of returning to the Dodgers. (Getty Images)

As we all know, things can change quickly during the Hot Stove season. But it seems safe to assume Hill and the Dodgers will be continuing their relationship. [@billplunkettocr]

DONE DEAL: The Houston Astros reunited with Carlos Beltran on a one-year, $16M deal. The deal includes a full no-trade clause, which is ironic given Beltran’s angry exit from Houston 12 years ago. [The Stew]

IN THE MONEY: Closer Mark Melancon has multiple four-year contract offers worth over $60M. The Giants and Nationals are known to be in the mix, and it’s possible one other team has entered a competitive offer. [@Ken_Rosenthal]

STAYING PUT: It’s no secret the Detroit Tigers are willing to sell off any player on the roster to save money. That includes longtime slugger Miguel Cabrera, who just this weekend expressed willingness to waive his no-trade rights. However, it takes two to tango, and in the case of Cabrera it appears interest is surprisingly small. That’s led to new belief that he will remain in Detroit. [FanRag Sports]

PRIME TARGET: In a somewhat surprising decision, veteran catcher Welington Castillo was non-tendered by Arizona on Friday after hitting .264 with 14 home runs. Less than 24 hours later, the new free agent was reportedly connected to a pair of catcher needy teams in the Rays and Braves. [@TBTimes_Rays]

Could you imagine MLB’s home run leader playing at Coors Field? (AP)

TRUMBOMBS: The market for MLB home run leader Mark Trumbo is expected to take shape during the upcoming winter meetings. It’s reported that the Colorado Rockies maintain strong interest in the slugger, which could lead to a dream pairing of power and Coors Field. [@jonmorosi]

TAKING SHAPE: The market for free agent Edwin Encarnacion appears to be taking shape. The Astros signing of Carlos Beltran reportedly removes them from the mix. It’s also noted the Red Sox aren’t likely to take the plunge on Encarnacion, perhaps leaving the Yankees and Blue Jays in the best positions. [@JonHeyman]

GETTING INTENSE: According to Fox Sports Jon Morosi, talks between the Texas Rangers and free agent Ian Desmond have intensified in recent days. However, before we were allowed to jump to conclusions, we learned the Rangers remained “far from optimistic” a deal would get done. ‘Tis the season for conflicting reports. [@Sullivan_Rangers]

FREE AGENT: Cuban outfielder Jose Adolis Garcia has been granted free agency after defecting from his home nation in August. The 24-year-old is the younger brother of Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia, who has accounted for 24 home runs over two MLB seasons. [@JesseSanchezMLB]

]]>Sat, 03 Dec 2016 21:19:10 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,10955986-95fb-378d-a14d-4612a927bdde-l:1http://sports.yahoo.com/news/adam-jones-didnt-like-orioles-farewell-gift-to-david-ortiz-013411791.html
Orioles’ star Adam Jones presents David Ortiz with a dugout phone, which Ortiz smashed during a game in 2013. (AP)

The David Ortiz farewell tour was filled with many memorable moments. Most of those happened during games, as the retiring superstar nearly slugged his way into the MVP award.

His final season was also filled with just as many awkward moments. Most of those actually came before games when teams presented him with going-away gifts.

Perhaps the most awkward ceremony took place in Baltimore. Prior to his final game at Camden Yards, on Sept. 21, the Orioles rolled out the red carpet, showed highlights of Ortiz mashing home runs against the mutual rival New York Yankees, and then presented him with the actual visitor’s dugout phone he once destroyed during an in-game meltdown.

For real. That was the Orioles parting gift. Or souvenir, if you will.

As you can tell by the expressions of Ortiz and long-time friend Adam Jones, who was tasked with delivering the gift, Ortiz did not appreciate the gesture. Neither Ortiz nor Jones made any issue of it publicly at the time. However, Jones admitted during his appearance at the David Ortiz Celebrity Classic golf event in the Dominican Republic that Ortiz was less than pleased, while adding he felt his team dropped the ball with their gift idea.

Jones added that he thought Ortiz might actually walk off the field when he handed the phone over. That didn’t happen. Perhaps if Ortiz had brought his bat with him to the field though he would have finished that phone off once and for all.

Now that would have been a fitting ending.

Knowing what we know now, Ortiz probably would have been better served taking his father’s advice and holding off on his retirement announcement until after the season. As the season went along, he seemed to become more and more uncomfortable as team after team held these pregame presentations. It was fun at times. There were definitely good moments too as his charities received generous donations in his name. Too often though, it just felt weird.

By the time Boston left Baltimore though, it was completely off the rails.

While we wait for the latest news on baseball’s most notable free agents and trade targets, we often lose track of those fringe players who occupy the final spots on the roster. We’re talking about the players who bounce back and forth between the major and minor leaguers several times a year, and whose future can change week-to-week, day-to-day and even hour-to-hour.

Players exactly like David Rollins.

The 26-year-old left-hander is past the point of being a prospect, but he’s talented enough to have pitched 34 1/3 innings for the Seattle Mariners over the last two seasons. He’s respected, but not coveted, which explains how he’s represented four different teams in a span of 14 days.

The incredible offseason of David Rollins continues. Claimed by the Phillies today. He's now bounced from Seattle to the Cubs to Tex to Phil

While most of us were enjoying Thanksgiving dinner last week, Rollins was probably checking his phone to make sure he wasn’t changing teams again. Unfortunately, that might continue on through the entire offseason as the constant roster shuffling continues.

It all started on Nov. 18, when Rollins was claimed by the Chicago Cubs after being placed on waivers by Seattle. Four days later, he was waived by the Cubs and claimed by the Texas Rangers. Then on Friday, he was claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies after the Rangers needed to open a roster spot.

You have to feel for anyone put in that position.

Here’s another interesting tidbit on Rollins. He was actually drafted four different times, but didn’t sign until after completing his senior season at San Jacinto College in Houston. He was first selected in the 19th round by the Dodgers in 2008. In 2009 and 2010, the Mariners selected him in the 23rd round and 46th rounds respectively. Then in 2011, he was selected by the Blue Jays in 24th round.

David Rollins, formerly of the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, is now with the Philadelphia Phillies. (Getty Images)

While the majority of players know where they stand with their teams, the fringe players do not. A guy like Rollins is viewed as good depth, but is also seen as expendable during this time period because there’s no opportunity for him to move up the depth chart. The last man in is the first man out, you might say.

Of course, there are a couple reasons the waiver wire is more active this time of year. With the non-tender deadline passing on Friday and the winter meeting now just hours away, teams have been facing difficult decisions in terms of roster structure. Naturally, financial considerations are a big part of those decisions. But so too is simply freeing up spots on the 25- and 40-man rosters as they prepare for the flurry of activity that’s sure to come in the days and weeks ahead.

It’s an unfortunate part of the job, but it’s also one players understand and accept. The only thing they’re looking for is that one opportunity to get their foot firmly in the door. Here’s hoping David Rollins’ winding road this month leads him to that opportunity.

The Houston Astros aren’t messing around this offseason. After working themselves into contention after nearly a half-decade of rebuilding, they are aggressively pursuing something greater in 2017. That pursuit continued on Saturday, as ESPN’s Buster Olney reported they have agreed to a one-year, $16M contract with free agent Carlos Beltran.

The addition of Beltran comes on the heels of Houston acquiring catcher Brian McCann in a trade with the New York Yankees and signing Josh Reddick to a four-year contract. They are obviously looking to bulk up an offense that already possessed some dangerous hitters. Now the lineup will be much deeper, which will create difficult matchups and sleepless nights for managers in the AL West.

Beltran, who will turn 40 in April, is making his second stop in Houston. He was a trade addition in 2004, helping Houston get to within one victory of a World Series appearance. Beltran put up historic numbers that postseason, hitting .435/.536/1.022 with eight home runs and 14 RBIs over 12 games. He ended up moving on quickly though after Beltran and agent Scott Boras were insulted by Houston offering a limited no-trade clause during contract negotiations. He ended up signing a seven-year contract with the New York Mets.

Worth noting, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Beltran received a full no-trade clause in his new deal. Perhaps that’s a make good for previous hard feelings.

Carlos Beltran is thrilled going back to the #Astros after all of these years, and will stay, having complete no trade clause too

On the field, Beltran is obviously a very player now. He’s been splitting his time between designated hitting duties and right field, which is exactly the role he’s expected to have in Houston. He’s still a very good hitter though as his 280/.325/.451 batting line suggests.

He shouldn’t be counted on for huge power numbers, though he did hit 29 homers between the Yankees and Rangers last season. He won’t contribute much on the base paths, but he’s a seemingly perfect fit for a team that’s nearing something special. Beltran will compliment the many young and dynamic players Houston has in its lineup, while providing another respected hitter in the lineup and respected presence in the clubhouse.

Looking at the bigger picture, Beltran’s signing changes more than the Astros landscape offensively, it also changes the landscape of free agency. The Astros were believed to be front runners for slugger Edwin Encarnacion. That clearly changes now, leaving the Yankees, Red Sox and perhaps the Blue Jays in position to swoop in there.

Beltran represents a big piece of the offseason puzzle. Now we anxiously await to see where the next piece fits in.

Friday at 8 p.m. ET marked the deadline for teams to tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players. By tendering a contract, the team maintains control of the player and has an opportunity to reach a deal with the player in arbitration if a contract can’t be worked out otherwise. Not tendering a contract means the player immediately becomes a free agent eligible to sign with any team.

Such decisions typically revolve around established players who have worked their way up the pay scale, but may not be seen as worth the money. In other instances, teams are simply looking to cut payroll and non-tendering gives them any easy out.

Usually, this process doesn’t lead to any truly huge names becoming available. However, this year’s list does have some very interesting names, including a potential difference-making pitcher. With that in mind, we’ll take a quick look at the four most interesting players who are now free agents and who are likely to draw some serious interest.

Tyson Ross is an intriguing new free agent after being non-tendered by the Padres. (AP)

Tyson Ross — San Diego Padres

This was the shocker of the day. The Padres non-tendered the most players overall with five. They also non-tendered the most prominent in 29-year-old right-hander Tyson Ross.

Ross, who served as the Padres ace in 2015, made just one start in 2016 before he was shut down for the season with a shoulder issue. He ultimately required surgery in October for thoracic outlet syndrome, which undoubtedly contributed to the Padres decision. His status for opening day is clearly in question, but there’s enough upside here that he seemed to be worth waiting for to see if he could start healthy and rebuild his value.

At this time last year, Ross was atop the list of trade targets for teams needing a pitcher. After the Padres held tight throughout the winter, Ross was expected to be among the biggest names discussed at the trade deadline. Obviously that didn’t materialize either due to his health. Point being, it’s amazing to see just how much Ross’ value to the Padres declined in 12 months.

Rest assured though, Ross will land on his feet. Over seven seasons, he’s posted a 3.64 ERA and proven that when healthy, he can make an impact.

The move had been expected all offseason, but came into clearler focus as rumors circulated around McCutchen and other outfielders the Nationals have interest in targeting. Revere’s time in Washington was simply over after a season plagued by injuries and dismal production. In 103 games, Revere hit just .217/.260/.300 with two homers and 24 RBIs.

Still just 28, Revere does set up as a strong bounceback candidate and a potentially solid bargain for a team needing an outfielder. To keep him healthy, the signing team should consider a move to left field. Above that though, they should feel pretty confident signing a player who hit an impressive 303/.334/.360 between 2013 and 2015.

Chris Carter will take his immense power elsewhere in 2017. (AP)

Chris Carter — Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee made its decision on Carter on Monday, not long before agreeing to a three-year deal with Eric Thames to serve as their new first baseman. It was a little surprising at first, seeing as Carter just finished as the National League co-leader in home runs with 41. However, he did only hit .222, and he’s come to be known as a strikeout machine after going down on strikes 751 times over the last four seasons.

Carter is in his second year of arbitration after earning an affordable $2.5M last season. He was expected to command $9-$10M in arbitration this winter, but may earn more on a one- or two-year deal this winter as teams look for a first-base power source.

If healthy, ground ball specialist Seth Maness will make a nice addition to someone’s bullpen. (AP)

Seth Maness — St. Louis Cardinals

As we noted, there aren’t a lot of household names on this list, but there are definitely contributors. Assuming he proves healthy, Maness should be just that for his next employer.

Over the last four seasons, Maness has proven to be a stabilizing force. In 237 1/3 career innings, he’s posted a 3.19 ERA to go along with 17 wins and seven saves. He’s recognized as a ground ball specialist, which is why manager Mike Matheny would go to him when the team needed a double play.

Unfortunately, his status for the beginning of 2017 is in question after he required UCL surgery in August. It was not a full ligament replacement, but there are obviously concerns about his ability to contribute in the short-term. He’s well worth taking a flier on though and we’re sure teams will line up hoping for a bargain.

Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.

WELCOME BACK: The Washington Nationals made a trade Friday, but it wasn’t the deal everyone was anticipating. While the Andrew McCutchen watch continues into Saturday, the Nationals did acquire veteran catcher Derek Norris from the Padres in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Pedro Avila.

The trade brings Norris’ career full circle in many ways. He was drafted by Washington in the fourth round of the 2007 amateur draft, but never appeared for them in the major leagues. Instead, he was traded to the Oakland A’s before the 2011 season in the Gio Gonzalez trade. After three season in Oakland, Norris was then traded to San Diego. Now he’s back in Washington where it’s expected he’ll compete for regular playing time. It’s also believed this trade will mark the end of Wilson Ramos’ time in Washington.

New Nationals catcher Derek Norris tags out Buster Posey of the Giants during a game on Sept. 13, 2016. (AP)

Norris is coming off a down year after hitting just .186/.255/.328. He has a solid track record though after earning an All-Star selection in 2014. [@Nationals]

NON-TENDERED: Friday at 8 p.m. ET marked the deadline for teams to tender or not-tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players. Here’s a look at those who are now free agents, including former Padres ace Tyson Ross. [MLB Daily Dish]

SALE SWEEPSTAKES: The list of teams interested in trading for Chris Sale is lengthy, and perhaps a little more defined thanks to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman. According to Heyman, the Nationals, Astros, Red Sox, Rangers and Braves are believed to have separated themselves from the pack in trade talks. This news could be an indication of Sale’s future, or it could be old news by the winter meetings. [FanRag Sports]

UH OH: Albert Pujols’ opening day status is in serious question after undergoing surgery on his right foot for the second straight offseason. [The Stew]

SCRABBLE ALERT: Free agent left-handed Marc Rzepczynski completed a two-year, $11.5M deal with the Mariners on Friday. He’ll earn $5.5M in each of the two seasons. [@jcrasnick]

Will the Giants try to trade for J.D. Martinez? (AP)

POSSIBLE FIT: The Giants are exploring all avenues for a power-hitting outfielder. That includes J.D. Martinez, whom Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan notes the Tigers are known to be shopping. It’s also noted that the Giants are keying on players like Martinez and Jay Bruce because they wouldn’t bring a long-term commitment. Both players are free agents following the 2017 season. [@hankschulman]

DRAWING INTEREST: The Royals have reportedly received multiple trade inquiries on speedster Jarrod Dyson. Like several Royals teammates — including Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar and Wade Davis — the 32-year-old right fielder will be a free agent following the 2017 season, which may heighten the Royals interest in moving him. [@jcrasnick]

BACKUP PLANS: While the Nationals remain focused on acquiring Andrew McCutchen, they’re also making backup plans in case that deal never materializes. Jon Heyman reports that the Nationals are also considering Dexter Fowler, Adam Eaton, Carlos Gomez and even Ian Desmond as potential center field options. [FanRag Sports]

]]>Fri, 02 Dec 2016 21:38:33 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,375aea52-2ba2-32f1-b37f-0cffcbc66379-l:1Albert Pujols opening day status in question after foot surgeryhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/albert-pujols-opening-day-status-in-doubt-after-foot-surgery-024855162.html
Albert Pujols may not be ready for opening day after second surgery on right foot. (Getty Images)

It’s deja vu all over for the Los Angeles Angels.

At this time last year, slugger Albert Pujols was recovering from early November surgery aimed at alleviating pain near the arch of his right foot. The operation carried a four-month recovery time, which ultimately lingered into spring training and impacted his season preparation.

Now we’ve learned that Pujols required surgery on the same foot on Friday to release the plantar fascia that hobbled him all season long. That too carries a four-month recovery period, which this time puts Pujols’ opening day status in jeopardy.

Angels GM Billy Eppler said the rehab for Pujols surgery is 3 months till baseball activity and 4 to play. So right around opening day.

This is not an ideal scenario for the Angels or for Pujols, who has now undergone three separate offseason surgeries dating back to 2012. The first was a knee cleanup.

Pujols had hoped surgery would not be required this time around. In fact, he was confident as recently as early November that he was making progress through non-surgical therapy. However, when the pain persisted, the reality set in that something more drastic had to be done.

Pujols didn't have surgery till now bc at first the non-surgical treatment was working, but recently he was having more pain, Eppler said.

One can’t blame Pujols for holding out hope. Avoiding surgery is always the goal. Unfortunately, that delay is likely to leave him less than one-hundred percent early on, and might leave the Angels without a major contributor out of the gate.

That presents a big, big problem for the Angels. Even with Pujols and his 31 homers in the lineup last season, they finished with just 156 as a team, good for the second fewest in the A.L. Beyond Pujols and Mike Trout, they struck zero fear into opposing pitchers, which makes Pujols’ presence essential. They better hope for a quick and complete recovery. If not that,then they better hope a lot of help arrives between now and April.

]]>Fri, 02 Dec 2016 18:48:55 PSTMark TownsendmlbBig League Stewurn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,428837b9-71d7-3fc2-9d85-1aa77b2d0ac5-l:1Four more things you need to know about the new CBAhttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/four-more-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-cba-011749907.html

We already brought you up to speed on some of the more interesting details that were initially made public. Now though, we’ve learned the full outline of the deal, which has helped to fill in many of the blanks that were left open to interpretation and speculation for roughly 48 hours.

It’s also opened our eyes to some other interesting changes set to be implemented that will no doubt have a major impact on the game between now and 2021.

Right here, we’ll take a look at four additional changes that are creating some buzz and are worth discussing.

Baseball will have labor peace for the next five years. (Getty)

DRUG TESTING WILL BE INCREASED

Under the new CBA, the number of in-season random urine test will increase from 3,200 to 4,800, while the number of offseason random tests will increase from 350 to 1,550. Those additional tests were put in to ensure that all 40-man roster players will be subject to at least one random off-season test.

The additional testing sends a clear and consistent message that MLB is taking its drug-testing policy seriously. It should also help ensure that players won’t experiment during the offseason and end up slipping through the cracks knowing that a random drug test was less likely than it is now.

This development comes on the heels of the hazing scandal in the Texas Rangers organization that resulted in eight prospects being questioned by police in the Dominican Republic after a video showed a group of players sexually assaulting an underage teammate. There were no further details released here, but this would seem to be a step forward in spotlighting the issue and hopefully changing the hazing culture in the future.

No, not all hazing incidents are as troubling as the one involving the Rangers. Some, such as rookies being forced to dress up in costumes for road trips, come across as harmless. For the most part they are, but if it means eliminating those to help change the idea that hazing and bullying new players is OK, then it’s worth it.

Hitting gloves rest on a bat during batting practice prior to the MLB All-Star game. (AP)

MORE CHANGES TO ALL-STAR GAME

We’ve already learned the All-Star game will no longer determine home-field advantage in the World Series. We now also know that a money bonus will be dangled over the players as incentive.

The winners of the All-Star Game will split $640,000 in bonus money this year. Guarantee that has a bigger impact than home field ever did.

With 32 players on each All-Star roster, it comes out to $20,000 for each player. It’s a drop in the bucket for most of the players involved, but money is still a nice motivator. Here’s hoping some of that money will end up going to charities or organizations that need it far more than baseball’s best.

One more All-Star note. No longer will the respective league managers be in charge of picking the final players on each roster. That responsibility now belongs to the commissioner’s office.

TEAM MUST ADD BILINGUAL MEDIA RELATIONS PERSONNEL

In a provision that’s long overdue, the parties agreed to require all 30 teams to retain a bilingual media relations professional, while providing additional English Language learning opportunities for Spanish-speaking players.

Honestly, it’s a little surprising MLB hasn’t been more ahead of the curve in this regard considering how global the game has become. It’s better late than never though, and we’re hopeful it will get teams more focused on this matter moving forward.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for season 1, episode 9 of “Pitch” and all episodes prior.

Do you ever wonder what it’s like for a player when he’s about to be traded? What he goes through, and what his teammates go through? Well, this show is a work of fiction, but it tries to show the viewer exactly what a franchise player might go through in the 24 hours before he could be traded.

OFF THE FIELD “Pitch” seems to be focusing itself a bit, because there were no flashbacks in this week’s episode, and just one scene that has anything to do with on-field baseball. (I’ll buck the trend and include that scene in this section, since it’s relevant.) It’s all about Mike and his possible trade to the Chicago Cubs. No one seems particularly happy about it. Not Mike, who is extremely conflicted, not his teammates, who feel abandoned, not the fans, who also feel abandoned and angry, and not Oscar the GM, who is reluctant to let him go even though Mike says that’s what he wants.

Everyone is laying on the guilt pretty thick for Mike — no one is making it easy for him. The employees at Petco Park applaud him as he walks in, and he looks like he wants to be absorbed into the ground forever. He obviously doesn’t want to disappoint anyone, and he’s spent his entire career with the San Diego Padres, but he’s acutely aware that his time is running out and he’s got to play these last few years for himself, which means trying to play for a team that’ll give him the best chance to win a ring.

Mike Lawson and his manager, Al, argue about whether Mike should take an at-bat during a rally. (FOX)

Everyone knows that Mike is about to be traded to the Cubs, and Oscar the GM and Charlie the president of baseball operations specifically do not want Mike to play that day because if he gets injured, that would blow the whole deal. But one run down in the bottom of the ninth with a sold out crowd all there to see Mike, he pretty much has to step up to the plate. Ginny engineers it when she gets the attention of a cameraman and tells Mike to put on a helmet. The crowd sees it and starts to chant his name, and Al the manager can’t say no. Mike sees three pitches, sends one of them foul, and ends the at-bat with a strikeout. Game over. Not the way he wanted to potentially end his Padres career, but the crowd doesn’t care. In one of the very few truly emotional moments this show has had, Mike steps out of the dugout and takes a curtain call to the ringing cheers of the crowd.

Later that night, Mike texts Ginny while she’s on a date (more about that in a minute) and she bails (though she’s having a great time) to meet him. He wheedles some compliments out of her, and she reveals that she wants what’s best for him, even though she’s been pretty rotten to him about waiving his no-trade clause. They have some “I’m going to miss this about you” banter, and it’s supposed to show us that they have chemistry, but the two of them just don’t have that kind of chemistry. The show is determined to do a Will-They-Or-Won’t-They storyline with them, and it’s absolutely unbelievable at every point. The two actors are great when they’re having friendly banter, but it feels forced and dumb when it goes any farther. As they leave, they share a hug that goes on too long and they almost kiss, so the show is absolutely pushing them toward a relationship. I have an urgent message for the showrunners that I simply must share: PLEASE DON’T DO THIS.

Mike thinks he’s leaving, but the deal isn’t done yet. Oscar simply doesn’t want to trade him at all, and is trying to convince Charlie that they need Mike, a 36-year-old catcher with two bad knees, on the team for a zillion reasons. We all know he’s not going to be traded, but anyone with half a baseball brain knows that this is the type of deal that gets done. Mike is old, but the Cubs want him, and they’re willing to give up a lot for him. No matter what kind of franchise player he is, you don’t turn down a trade like that. So the show is playing with a lot of fire here, trying to wrench an emotional storyline out of something that makes a lot of baseball sense. In the end, the trade falls through (duh), and Mike is staying in San Diego.

Ginny doing motion capture for the video game version of herself. (FOX)

There are a few other storylines floating around in this episode. One is about Ginny and a billionaire motion capture guru named Noah. He’s putting her in a video game, and they meet when she’s wearing one of those ping pong ball suits and pitching so they can capture her moves for the game. He asks her out on the spot and she demurs, using her busy life and constant fan-hounding as an excuse. It’s clear she digs him, though, and her turn-down is pretty half-hearted. Later, he texts her an adorable video game message that features a tiny, cartooned version of Noah losing his heart, and “Princess Ginny” is the only one who can give it back to him. Later, she’s the one who ends up asking him to dinner. And to help her stay away from the madding crowds, he buys out the restaurant.

Will, Ginny’s brother, is still in the picture, and he’s convinced Blip Sanders’ wife Evelyn to invest in his sports bar idea, Screwgies, which will be using Ginny’s likeness to help sell itself. It’s still a stunningly bad idea, and Ginny’s agent, Amelia, is acutely aware of this. She keeps trying to tell everyone how bad it is, but she eventually gives up and lets the chips fall where they may. While on her date with Noah, Ginny (who has of course invested in this terrible idea) asks him for investing advice about restaurants. Noah keeps it short and sweet: don’t invest in restaurants, since they have a tremendous failure rate. Meanwhile, Evelyn realizes that there’s money missing from the ledger, but she lets Will talk his way out of it instead of shoving the iPad in his face and saying “THANKS FOR WASTING MY INVESTMENT, IDIOT.” But she knows something is wrong, and she calls Amelia to ask for help. That’s where it ends for this week, but between that and the advice that Ginny got from Noah, things are finally starting to crumble for Will.

And finally, Al the manager finally knows about his daughter, Natalie, and Oscar dating. He’s not thrilled about it, but she could do a lot worse than Oscar, right? Oscar wants her to stay instead of leaving the city to go back to her old job, but in the end she surprises both Oscar and her father: instead of taking a permanent position at the hospital where she works (she’s a doctor), she volunteers for international medical service. It’s a weird choice for the show to make, but I can understand why they’d want to cut this baggage — there’s a lot going on in the show right now, and as they get further into the season, they’ve got to focus their episode minutes on where they’re going to matter most. Unfortunately, that’s not on Oscar’s love life.

BEHIND THE SCENES This week, Mark-Paul Gosselaar (who plays Mike Lawson) talks about his level of fandom before and after he started on “Pitch.” Before the show, he labeled himself as a casual fan. But now he understands the game, and the position of catcher, so much more than he did before. He even has a particular guy he’s modeled his character after. Hm, a popular, homer-hitting modern catcher who stayed with one club for the majority of his career. I wonder who that could be…

ZACK MORRIS VS. MIKE LAWSON Throughout this week’s episode, Mike seems very conflicted about being traded. It’s hard to tell if he really wants it, or if he just thinks he wants it. That’s just what Zack went through when he became a rock star. He started with his band, Zack Attack, but he was of course the biggest star. (The band was named Zack Attack, after all.) And because he was the biggest star, he let his agent convince him to go solo. He thought it was what he wanted, but it wasn’t and he was miserable.

Zack Morris the rock star is conflicted. (via Tumblr)

He also looked like a huuuuuge idiot. There is no time in the history of the world or even rock and roll that Zack’s outfit would have been okay. His outfit, the hair, the medallion (!?!?), and seriously, where is his shirt.

Thankfully, Mike won’t have to experience that. The trade with the Cubs fell through so he won’t ever have to know if being traded was the right thing or not. He saved himself from the baseball equivalent of wearing a sequined shirtless jacket and giant, metallic Hammer pants.

Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.

DONE DEAL: The Atlanta Braves continued to rebuild their rotation Thursday, dealing for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia. The 30-year-old Garcia is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.67 ERA over 171 2/3 innings. Garcia is under contract for just one season. He’s set to make $12 million in 2017. Garcia has been effective when healthy, but has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career.

In exchange, the Cardinals will receive pitchers John Gant and Chris Ellis, and infielder Luke Dykstra. The 24-year-old Gant posted a 4.86 ERA as a reliever with the Braves last year. He’s known for his strange windup. Ellis, 24, posted a 4.49 ERA over two minor-league levels. Dykstra, son of Lenny, hit .304/.332/.363 in Class A last year. [@Braves]

GET IT DONE: The Washington Nationals are making a hard push for Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen. The two sides have talked about a deal, but Washington would prefer to get something done soon. If the two sides can come to an agreement before Thursday’s non-tender deadline, Washington would likely non-tender shortstop Danny Espinosa.

In a scenario where the Nationals acquire McCutchen, he would move to center, allowing Trea Turner to move back to shortstop. The club would have no use for Espinosa, making him expendable. Pitchers Joe Ross and Reynaldo Lopez have been mentioned as possible trade targets for Pittsburgh. The club is also interested in 19-year-old outfielder Victor Robles. [ESPN]

LANDING SPOTS: We mentioned the Nationals as the ideal landing spot for McCutchen on Wednesday. If the two sides can’t come together on a deal, a number of other teams could use the 30-year-old superstar outfielder. [The Stew]

GO GET THEM: The Houston Astros are said to be heavily pursuing both Edwin Encarnacion and Carlos Beltran in free agency. The club is trying hard to land one of the two players. Encarnacion is considered the better option, and would likely cost multiple years and close to $100 million. Beltran, on the other hand, may not produce as well, but would require fewer years and come with a much smaller price tag. [@BNightengale]

The Mariners are expected to sign Marc Rzepczynski to shore up their bullpen. (Getty Images/Rob Carr)

ALMOST DONE: The Seattle Mariners are expected to sign reliever Marc Rzepczynski to a two-year deal. The two sides have reportedly agreed to a deal, and are just waiting on the physical at this point. The 31-year-old lefty posted a 2.64 ERA over 47 2/3 innings last year. [@Ken_Rosenthal]

CHANGING COURSE: The Nationals believe reliever Aroldis Chapman may be too rich for them this offseason. Because of that, the team has turned its attention to Mark Melancon. Melancon, 31, spent the second half with Washington, posting a 1.82 ERA down the stretch. The club was reportedly impressed with both his performance and his personality in the clubhouse. [@JonHeyman]